Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 118.
| 1 |
Lady Maisry forth from her bower came,
And stood on her tower-head;
She thought she heard a bridle ring,
The sound did her heart guid. |
| 2 |
She thought it was her first true-love,
Whom she loved ance in time;
But it was her new love, Hunting,
Come frae the hunting o the hyn. |
| 3 |
'Gude morrow, gude morrow, Lady Maisry,
God make you safe and free;
I'm come to take my last farewell,
And pay my last visit to thee.' |
| 4 |
'O stay, O stay then, Young Hunting,
O stay with me this night;
Ye shall hae cheer, an charcoal clear,
And candles burning bright.' |
| 5 |
'Have no more cheer, you lady fair,
An hour langer for me;
I have a lady in Garmouth town
I love better than thee.' |
| 6 |
'O if your love be changed, my love,
Since better canno be,
Nevertheless, for auld lang syne,
Ye'll stay this night wi me. |
| 7 |
'Silver, silver shall be your wage,
And gowd shall be your fee,
And nine times nine into the year
Your weed shall changed be. |
| 8 |
'Will ye gae to the cards or dice,
Or to a tavern fine?
Or will ye gae to a table forebye,
And birl baith beer and wine?' |
| 9 |
'I winna gang to the cards nor dice,
Nor to a tavern fine;
But I will gang to a table forebye,
And birl baith beer and wine.' |
| 10 |
Then she has drawn for Young Hunting
The beer but and the wine,
Till she got him as deadly drunk
As ony unhallowed swine. |
| 11 |
Then she's taen out a trusty brand,
That hang below her gare,
Then she's wounded him Young Hunting,
A deep wound and a sair. |
| 12 |
Then out it speaks her comrade,
Being in the companie:
'Alas! this deed that ye hae done
Will ruin baith you and me.' |
| 13 |
'Heal well, heal well, you Lady Katharine,
Heal well this deed on me,
The robes that were shapen for my bodie,
They shall be sewed for thee.' |
| 14 |
'Tho I woud heal it never sae well,
And never sae well,' said she,
'There is a God above us baith
That can baith hear and see.' |
| 15 |
They booted him, and spurred him,
As he'd been gaun to ride,
A hunting-horn about his neck,
A sharp sword by his side. |
| 16 |
And they rode on, and farther on,
All the lang summer's tide,
Until they came to wan water,
Where a' man ca's it Clyde. |
| 17 |
And the deepest pot in Clyde's water,
And there they flang him in,
And put a turf on his breast-bane,
To had Young Hunting down. |
| 18 |
O out it speaks a little wee bird,
As she sat on the brier:
'Gae hame, gae hame, ye Lady Maisry,
And pay your maiden's hire.' |
| 19 |
'O I will pay my maiden's hire,
And hire I'll gie to thee;
If ye'll conceal this fatal deed,
Ye's hae gowd for your fee.' |
| 20 |
Then out it speaks a bonny bird,
That flew aboon their head:
'Keep well, keep well your green claithing
Frae ae drap o his bluid.' |
| 21 |
'O I'll keep well my green claithing
Frae ae drop o his bluid,
Better than I'll do your flattering tongue,
That flutters in your head. |
| 22 |
'Come down, come down, my bonny bird,
Light down upon my hand;
For ae gowd feather that's in your wing,
I woud gie a' my land.' |
| 23 |
'How shall I come down, how can I come down,
How shall I come down to thee?
The things ye said to Young Hunting,
The same ye're saying to me.' |
| 24 |
But it fell out on that same day
The king was going to ride,
And he calld for him Young Hunting,
For to ride by his side. |
| 25 |
Then out it speaks the little young son,
Sat on the nurse's knee:
'It fears me sair,' said that young babe,
'He's in bower wi yon ladie.' |
| 26 |
Then they hae calld her Lady Katharine,
And she sware by the thorn
That she saw not him Young Hunting
Sin yesterday at morn. |
| 27 |
Then they hae calld her Lady Maisry,
And she sware by the moon
That she saw not him Young Hunting
Sin yesterday at noon. |
| 28 |
'He was playing him at the Clyde's Water,
Perhaps he has fa'en in:'
The king he calld his divers all,
To dive for his young son. |
| 29 |
They div'd in thro the wan burn-bank,
Sae did they outthro the other:
'We'll dive nae mair,' said these young men,
'Suppose he were our brother.' |
| 30 |
Then out it spake a little bird,
That flew aboon their head:
'Dive on, dive on, ye divers all,
For there he lies indeed. |
| 31 |
'But ye'll leave aff your day diving,
And ye'll dive in the night;
The pot where Young Hunting lies in,
The candles they'll burn bright. |
| 32 |
'There are twa ladies in yon bower,
And even in yon ha,
And they hae killd him Young Hunting,
And casten him awa. |
| 33 |
'They booted him, and spurred him,
As he'd been gaun to ride,
A hunting-horn tied round his neck,
A sharp sword by his side |
| 34 |
'The deepest pot o Clyde's Water,
There they flang him in,
Laid a turf on his breast-bane,
To had Young Hunting down.' |
| 35 |
Now they left aff their day diving,
And they dived on the night;
The pot that Young Hunting lay in,
The candles were burning bright. |
| 36 |
The king he calld his hewers all,
To hew down wood and thorn,
For to put up a strong bale-fire,
These ladies for to burn. |
| 37 |
And they hae taen her Lady Katharine,
And they hae pitten her in;
But it wadna light upon her cheek,
Nor woud it on her chin,
But sang the points o her yellow hair,
For healing the deadly sin. |
| 38 |
Then they hae taen her Lady Maisry,
And they hae put her in:
First it lighted on her cheek,
And syne upon her chin,
And sang the points o her yellow hair,
And she burnt like keckle-pin. |
