Harris Manuscript, fol. 8, from Mrs. Harris, Perthshire.
| 1 |
The ladie stude in her bour-door,
In her bour-door as she stude,
She thocht she heard a bridle ring,
That did her bodie gude. |
| 2 |
She thocht it had been her father dear,
Come ridin owre the sand;
But it was her true-love Riedan,
Come hiean to her hand. |
| 3 |
'You're welcome, you're welcome, Young Riedan,' she said,
'To coal an cannel-licht;
You're welcome, you're welcome, Young Riedan,
To sleep in my bour this nicht.' |
| 4 |
'I thank you for your coal, madame,
An for your cannel tae;
There's a fairer maid at Clyde's Water,
I love better than you.' |
| 5 |
'A fairer maid than me, Riedan?
A fairer maid than me?
A fairer maid than ten o me
You shurely neer did see.' |
| 6 |
He leant him owre his saddle-bow,
To gie her a kiss sae sweet;
She keppit him on a little penknife,
An gae him a wound sae deep. |
| 7 |
'O hide! oh hide! my bourswoman,
Oh hide this deed on me!
An the silks that waur shappit for me at Yule
At Pasch sall be sewed for thee.' |
| 8 |
They saidled Young Riedan, they bridled Young Riedan,
The way he was wont to ride;
Wi a huntin-horn aboot his neck,
An a sharp sword by his side. |
| 9 |
An they are on to Clyde's Water,
An they rade it up an doon,
An the deepest linn in a' Clyde's Water
They flang him Young Riedan [in]. |
| 10 |
'Lie you there, you Young Riedan,
Your bed it is fu wan;
The [maid] you hae at Clyde's Water,
For you she will think lang.' |
| 11 |
Up it spak the wily bird,
As it sat on the tree:
'Oh wae betide you, ill woman,
An an ill death may you dee!
For he had neer anither love,
Anither love but thee.' |
| 12 |
'Come doon, come doon, my pretty parrot,
An pickle wheat aff my glue;
An your cage sall be o the beaten goud,
Whan it's of the willow tree.' |
| 13 |
'I winna come doon, I sanna come doon,
To siccan a traitor as thee:
For as you did to Young Riedan,
Sae wald you do to mee.' |
| 14 |
Come doon, come doon, my pretty parrot,
An pickle wheat aff my hand;
An your cage sall be o the beaten goud,
Whan it's o the willow wand.' |
| 15 |
'I winna come doon, I sanna come doon,
To siccan a traitor as thee;
You wald thraw my head aff my hase-bane,
An fling it in the sea.' |
| 16 |
It fell upon a Lammas-tide
The king's court cam ridin bye:
'Oh whare is it him Young Riedan?
It's fain I wald him see.' |
| 17 |
'Oh I hae no seen Young Riedan
Sin three lang weeks the morn;
It bodes me sair, and drieds me mair,
Clyde's Water's him forlorn.' |
| 18 |
Up it spak the wily bird,
As it sat on the tree;
. . . . .
. . . . . |
| 19 |
'Leave aff, leave aff your day-seekin,
An ye maun seek by nicht;
Aboon the place Young Riedan lies,
The cannels burn bricht.' |
| 20 |
They gae up their day-seekin,
An they did seek by nicht;
An ower the place Young Riedan lay,
The cannels burnt bricht. |
| 21 |
The firsten grip his mother got
Was o his yellow hair;
An was na that a dowie grip,
To get her ae son there! |
| 22 |
The nexten grip his mother got
Was o his milk-white hand;
An wasna that a dowie grip,
To bring sae far to land! |
| 23 |
White, white waur his wounds washen,
As white as ony lawn;
But sune's the traitor stude afore,
Then oot the red blude sprang.
* * * * * |
| 24 |
Fire wadna tak on her bourswoman,
Niether on cheek nor chin;
But it took fast on thae twa hands
That flang young Riedan in. |
| 25 |
'Come oot, come oot, my bourswoman,
Come oot, lat me win in;
For as I did the deed mysell,
Sae man I drie the pine.' |
