Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 30.
| 1 |
The knight stands in his stable-door,
Says he, I will gae ride;
A lady stands in her bower-door,
Says, I'll ride by your side. |
| 2 |
'Ye shall not follow me, Burd Helen,
Except ye do this deed;
That is, to saddle to me my horse,
And bridle to me my steed,
And every town that ye come to,
A liesh o hounds to lead.' |
| 3 |
'I will saddle to you your horse,
Sae will I bridle your steed;
And every town that we come to,
A liesh o hounds I'll lead.' |
| 4 |
Take warning a', ye maidens fair,
That wear scarlet and brown;
In virtue leave your lammas beds,
To follow knights frae town. |
| 5 |
'My dogs shall eat the white bread, Helen,
And you the dust and bran;
And you will sigh, and say, alas!
That eer our loves began.' |
| 6 |
'Your dogs may eat the gude white bread,
And I the dust and bran;
Yet will I sing, and say, well's me,
That eer our loves began.' |
| 7 |
'My horse shall drink the gude red wine,
And you the water wan;
And then you'll sigh, and say, alas!
That eer our loves began.' |
| 8 |
'Your horse may drink the gude red wine,
And I the water wan;
But yet I'll sing, and say, well's me,
That eer our loves began.' |
| 9 |
Then Willie lap on his white steed,
And straight awa did ride;
Burd Helen, drest in men's array,
She walked by his side. |
| 10 |
But he was neer sae lack a knight
As ance woud bid her ride,
And she was neer sae mean a may
As ance woud bid him bide. |
| 11 |
Sweet Willie rade, Burd Helen ran,
A livelang summer's tide,
Until she came to wan water,
For a' men ca's it Clyde. |
| 12 |
The first an step that she wade in,
She wadit to the knee;
'Ohon, alas!' said that fair maid,
'This water's nae for me!' |
| 13 |
The next an step that she wade in,
She wadit to the pap;
The babe within her sides twa,
Cauld water gart it quack. |
| 14 |
'Lie still, lie still, my bonny bairn,
For a' this winna dee;
Your father rides on high horseback,
Minds neither you nor me.' |
| 15 |
In the midst of Clyde's water,
There stands a yird-fast stone;
There he leant him ower his saddle-bow,
And set that lady on,
And brought her to the other side,
Then set her down again. |
| 16 |
'O see ye not yon goodly towers,
And gowd towers stand sae hie?
There is a lady in yonder bower
Will sinder you and me.' |
| 17 |
'I wish nae ill to your lady,
She neer wishd nane to me;
But I wish the maid maist o your love
That drees far mair for thee. |
| 18 |
'I wish nae ill to your lady,
She neer comes in my thought;
But I wish the maid maist o your love
That dearest hae you bought.' |
| 19 |
Four an twenty gay ladies
Led Willie thro bower and ha;
But the fairest lady amo them a'
Led his horse to the sta. |
| 20 |
Four an twenty gay ladies
Were a' at dinner set;
Burd Helen sat at a by-table,
A bit she coudna eat. |
| 21 |
Out it spake her Dow Isbel,
A skilly dame was she:
'O whare got ye this fine foot-page
Ye've brought alang wi thee? |
| 22 |
'Sometimes his colour waxes red,
Sometimes it waxes wan;
He is liker a woman big wi bairn
Nor be a waiting man.' |
| 23 |
'Win up, win up, my boy,' he says,
'At my bidding to be,
And gang and supper my gude steed,
See he be litterd tee.' |
| 24 |
Then she is into stable gane,
Shut tee the door wi a pin,
And even amang Willie's horse feet
Brought hame her bonny young son. |
| 25 |
When day was gane, and night was come,
And a' man bound for bed,
Sweet Willie and Dow Isbel
In ae chamber were laid. |
| 26 |
They hadna been well lien down,
Nor yet well faen asleep,
Till up it wakens Sweet Willie,
And stood at Dow Isbel's feet. |
| 27 |
'I dreamd a dreary dream this night,
I wish it may be for guid;
Some rogue hae broke my stable-door,
And stown awa my steed. |
| 28 |
'Win up, win up now, Dow Isbel,
At my bidding to be,
And ye'll gae to my stable-door,
See that be true or lie.' |
| 29 |
When she gaed to the stable-door,
She heard a grievous groan;
She thought she heard a bairn greet,
But and a woman's moan. |
| 30 |
'When I was in my bigly bower,
I wore but what I would;
This night I'm lighter 'mang Willie's horse feet,
I fear I'll die for cold. |
| 31 |
'When I was in my bigly bower,
I wore gold to my tae;
This night I'm lighter mang Willie's horse feet,
And fear I'll die or day. |
| 32 |
'When I was in my bigly bower,
I wore scarlet and green;
This night I'm lighter mang Willie's horse feet,
And fear I'll die my lane.' |
| 33 |
Dow Isbel now came tripping hame,
As fast as gang coud she;
'I thought your page was not a man,
Ye brought alang wi thee. |
| 34 |
'As I gaed to your stable, Willie,
I heard a grievous groan;
I thought I heard a bairn greet,
But and a woman's moan. |
| 35 |
'She said, when in her bigly bower,
She wore but what she would;
But this night is lighter mang your horse feet,
And fears she'll die for cold. |
| 36 |
'She said, when in her bigly bower,
She wore gold to her tae;
But this night is lighter mang your horse feet,
And fears she'll die or day. |
| 37 |
'Win up, win up, now Sweet Willie,
At my bidding to be,
And speak some comfort to the maid,
That's dreed sae much for thee.' |
| 38 |
He is to the stable door gane,
As fast as gang coud he;
'O open, O open, Burd Helen,' he says,
'Ye'll open the door to me.' |
| 39 |
'That was never my mother's custom,
And hope it's never be mine,
A knight into her companie,
When she drees a' her pine.' |
| 40 |
'O open the door, Burd Helen,' he says,
'O open the door to me;
For as my sword hangs by my gair,
I'll gar it gang in three.' |
| 41 |
'How can I open, how shall I open,
How can I open to thee,
When lying amang your great steed's feet,
Your young son on my knee?' |
| 42 |
He hit the door then wi his foot,
Sae did he wi his knee,
Till doors o deal, and locks o steel,
In splinders gart he flee. |
| 43 |
'An asking, asking, Sweet Willie,
An asking ye'll grant me;
The warst in bower in a' your towers,
For thy young son and me.' |
| 44 |
'Your asking's nae sae great, Burd Helen,
But granted it shall be;
The best in bower in a' my towers,
For my young son and thee.' |
| 45 |
'An asking, asking, sweet Willie,
An asking ye'll grant me;
The warst an woman about your bowers,
To wait on him and me.' |
| 46 |
'The best an woman about my bowers,
To wait on him and thee,
And that's my sister Dow Isbel,
And a gude woman is she. |
| 47 |
'Ye will take up my little young son,
And wash him wi the milk;
And ye'll take up my gay lady,
And row her in the silk. |
| 48 |
'Be favourable to my lady,
Be favourable, if ye may;
Her kirking and her fair wedding
Shall baith stand on ae day. |
| 49 |
'There is not here a woman living
But her shall be my bride,
And all is for the fair speeches
I got frae her at Clyde.' |
