| 1 |
Willie was a harper guid,
He was a harper fine;
He harped the burds out of the tree,
The fish out of the flood,
The milk out of a woman's brist
That bab had never nean. |
| 2 |
He harped out, an he harped in,
Till he harped them a' aslep,
Unless it was her Fair Elen,
An she stood on her feett. |
| 3 |
Willie stod in stabile dor,
He said he wad ride,
. . . . . .
. . . . . |
| 4 |
'Na women mane gae we me, Hellen,
Na women mane gaie we me
Bat them that will saddle my hors,
An bridell my steed,
An elky toun that I come to
A lish of hons mane lead.' |
| 5 |
'I will saddle yer hors, Willie,
An I will bridel yer steed,
An elky toun att we come tell
A leash of honds will lead.' |
| 6 |
'The dogs sall eat the gued fite bread,
An ye the dou pran,
An ye sall bliss, an na curse,
That ever ye lied a man.' |
| 7 |
'The dogs sall eat the whit bread,
An me the dou pran,
An I will bliss, an na curs,
That ear I loved a man.' |
| 8 |
She has saddled his hors,
An she has bridled his stead,
An ealky toun att they came throu
A lish of honds did lead. |
| 9 |
The dogs did eatt the whit bread,
An her the douey pran,
An she did bliss, an she did na curs,
That ever she loyed a man. |
| 10 |
Fan they came to yon wan water
That a' man caas Clayd,
He louked over his left shoder,
Says, Ellen, will ye ride? |
| 11 |
'I learned it in my medder's bour,
I wiss I had learned it better,
Fan I came to wane water
To sume as dos the otter. |
| 12 |
'I learned in my midder's bour,
I watt I learned it well,
Fan I came to wan water,
To sume as dos the ell.' |
| 13 |
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
Or the knight was in the middell of the water,
The lady was in the eather side. |
| 14 |
She leaned her back to a stane,
Gaa a call opon:
'O my back is right sore,
An I sae farr frae hame! |
| 15 |
'Hou monny mill ha ye to rid,
An hou mony I to rine?'
'Fifty mill ha I to rid,
Fifty you to rine,
An by that time I dou supos
Ye will be a dead woman.' |
| 16 |
Out spak a bonny burd,
Sate on yon tree,
'Gaa on, fair Ellen,
Ye ha scarcly milles three.' |
| 17 |
Four-an-tuenty bony ladys
Mett Willie in the closs,
Bat the fairest lady among them a'
Took Willie frae his horse. |
| 18 |
Four-an-trenty bonny ladys
Lead Willie to the table,
Bat the fairest lady among them a'
Led his hors to the stable. |
| 19 |
She leaned betuen the gray folle an the waa,
An gae a call opon;
'O my back is fue sore,
An I sae far fra home! |
| 20 |
'Fan I was in my father's bour,
I ware goud to my hell;
Bat nou I am among Willie's hors feet,
An the call it will me kell. |
| 21 |
'Fan I was in my midder's bour
I wear goud to my head;
Bat nou I am among Willie's hors feet,
And the calle will be my dead.' |
| 22 |
'Fatten a heavey horse-boy, my son Willie,
Is this ye ha brought to me?
Some times he grous read, read,
An some times paill an wane;
He louks just leak a woman we bairn,
An no weis es leak a man.' |
| 23 |
'Gett up, my heavey hors-boy,
Gie my hors corn an hay;'
'By my soth,' says her Fair Ellen,
'Bat as fast as I may.' |
| 24 |
'I dreamed a dream san the straine,
Gued read a' dreams to gued!
I dreamed my stable-dor was opned
An stoun was my best steed.
Ye gae, my sister,
An see if the dream be gued.' |
| 25 |
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
She thought she hard a baby greet,
Bat an a lady mone. |
| 26 |
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
'I think I hard a baby greet,
Bat an a lady mone.' |
| 27 |
'A askend, Wikllie,' she says,
'An ye man grant it me;
The warst room in a' yer house
To your young son an me.' |
| 28 |
['Ask on, Fair Ellen,
Ye'r sure yer asken is free;]
The best room in a' my house
To yer young son an ye.' |
| 29 |
'[A] asken, Willie,' she sayes,
'An ye will grant it me;
The smallest bear in yer house
To [yer] young son an me.' |
| 30 |
'Ask on, Fair Ellen,
Ye'r sure your asken is free;
The best bear in my house
[To yer young son an ye.] |
| 31 |
'The best bear in my house
Is the black bear an the wine,
An ye sall haa that, Fair Ellen,
To you an yer young son.' |
| 32 |
'[A] askent, Willie,' she says,
'An ye will grant [it] me;
The warst maid in yer house
To wait on yer young son an me.' |
| 33 |
'The best maid in my house
Is my sister Meggie,
An ye sall ha her, Fair Ellen,
To wait on yer young son an ye. |
| 34 |
'Chire up, Fair Ellen,
Chire up, gin ye may;
Yer kirking an yer fair weding
Sall baith stand in ae day.' |
