Jamieson's Popular Ballads, I, 83,
communicated by Mrs. Arrot, of Aberbrothnick,
but enlarged from two fragments.
| 1 |
Clerk Saunders was an earl's son,
He livd upon sea-sand;
May Margaret was a king's daughter,
She livd in upper land. |
| 2 |
Clerk Saunders was an earl's son,
Weel learned at the scheel;
May Margaret was a king's daughter,
They baith loed ither weel. |
| 3 |
He's throw the dark, and throw the mark,
And throw the leaves o green,
Till he came to May Margaret's door,
And tirled at the pin. |
| 4 |
'O sleep ye, wake ye, May Margaret,
Or are ye the bower within?'
O wha is that at my bower-door,
Sae weel my name does ken?'
'It's I, Clerk Saunders, your true-love,
You'll open and lat me in. |
| 5 |
'O will ye to the cards, Margaret,
Or to the table to dine?
Or to the bed, that's weel down spread,
And sleep when we get time?' |
| 6 |
'I'll no go to the cards,' she says,
'Nor to the table to dine;
But I'll go to a bed, that's weel down spread,
And sleep when we get time.' |
| 7 |
They were not weel lyen down,
And no weel fa'en asleep,
When up and stood May Margaret's brethren,
Just up at their bed-feet. |
| 8 |
'O tell us, tell us, May Margaret,
And dinna to us len,
O wha is aught yon noble steed,
That stands your stable in?' |
| 9 |
'The steed is mine, and it may be thine,
To ride whan ye ride in hie;
. . . . .
. . . . . |
| 10 |
'But awa, awa, my bald brethren,
Awa, and mak nae din;
For I am as sick a lady the nicht
As eer lay a bower within.' |
| 11 |
'O tell us, tell us, May Margaret,
And dinna to us len,
O wha is aught yon noble hawk,
That stands your kitchen in?' |
| 12 |
'The hawk is mine, and it may be thine,
To hawk whan ye hawk in hie;
. . . . .
. . . . . |
| 13 |
'But awa, awa, my bald brethren,
Awa, and mak nae din;
For I'm ane o the sickest ladies this nicht
That eer lay a bower within.' |
| 14 |
'O tell us, tell us, May Margaret,
And dinna to us len,
O wha is that, May Margaret,
You and the wa between?' |
| 15 |
'O it is my bower-maiden,' she says,
'As sick as sick can be;
O it is my bower-maiden,' she says,
'And she's thrice as sick as me.' |
| 16 |
'We hae been east, and we've been west,
And low beneath the moon;
But a' the bower-women eer we saw
Hadna goud buckles in their shoon.' |
| 17 |
Then up and spak her eldest brither,
Ay in ill time spak he:
'It is Clerk Saunders, your true-love,
And never mat I the
But for this scorn that he has done
This moment he sall die.' |
| 18 |
But up and spak her youngest brother,
Ay in good time spak he:
'O but they are a gudelie pair!
True lovers an ye be,
The sword that hangs at my sword-belt
Sall never sinder ye.' |
| 19 |
Syne up and spak her nexten brother,
And the tear stood in his ee:
'You've loed her lang, and loed her weel,
And pity it wad be
The sword that hangs at my sword-belt
Shoud ever sinder ye.' |
| 20 |
But up and spak her fifthen brother:
'Sleep on your sleep for me;
But we baith sall never sleep again,
For the tane o us sall die.' |
| 21 |
And up and spak her thirden brother,
Ay in ill time spak he:
'Curse on his love and comeliness!
Dishonourd as ye be,
The sword that hangs at my sword-belt
Sall quickly sinder ye.' |
| 22 |
The eldest brother has drawn his sword,
The second has drawn anither,
Between Clerk Saunders' hause and collarbane
The cald iron met thegither. |
| 23 |
'O wae be to you, my fause brethren,
And an ill death mat ye die!
Ye mith slain Clerk Saunders in open field,
And no in bed wi me.' |
