Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 30.
| 1 |
'There are sixteen lang miles, I'm sure,
Between my love and me;
There are eight o them in gude dry land,
And other eight by sea. |
| 2 |
'Betide me life, betide me death,
My love I'll gang and see;
Altho her friends they do me hate,
Her love is great for me. |
| 3 |
'If my coat I'll make a boat,
And o my sark a sail,
And o my cane a gude tapmast,
Dry land till I come till.' |
| 4 |
Then o his coat he's made a boat,
And o his sark a sail;
And o his cane a gude tapmast,
Dry land till he came till. |
| 5 |
He is on to Annie's bower-door,
And tirled at the pin:
'O sleep ye, wake ye, my love, Annie,
Ye'll rise, lat me come in.' |
| 6 |
'O who is this at my bower-door,
Sae well that kens my name?'
'It is your true-love, Sweet Willie,
For you I've crossd the faem.' |
| 7 |
'I am deeply sworn, Willie,
By father and by mother;
At kirk or market where we meet,
We darna own each other. |
| 8 |
'And I am deeply sworn, Willie,
By my bauld brothers three;
At kirk or market where we meet,
I darna speak to thee.' |
| 9 |
'Ye take your red fan in your hand,
Your white fan ower your een,
And ye may swear, and save your oath,
Ye sawna me come in. |
| 10 |
'Ye take me in your arms twa,
And carry me to your bed;
And ye may swear, and save your oath,
Your bower I never tread.' |
| 11 |
She's taen her red fan in her hand,
The white fan ower her een;
It was to swear, and save her oath,
She sawna him come in. |
| 12 |
She's taen him in her arms twa,
And carried him to her bed;
It was to swear, and save her oath,
Her bower he never tread. |
| 13 |
They hadna kissd, nor love clapped,
As lovers do when they meet,
Till up it waukens her mother,
Out o her drowsy sleep. |
| 14 |
'Win up, win up, my three bauld sons,
Win up and make ye boun;
Your sister's lover's in her bower,
And he's but new come in.' |
| 15 |
Then up it raise her three bauld sons,
And girt to them their brand,
And they are to their sister's bower,
As fast as they coud gang. |
| 16 |
When they came to their sister's bower,
They sought it up and down;
But there was neither man nor boy
In her bower to be foun. |
| 17 |
n out it speaks the first o them:
'We'll gang and lat her be;
For there is neither man nor boy
Intill her companie.' |
| 18 |
Then out it speaks the second son:
'Our travel's a' in vain;
But mother dear, nor father dear,
Shall break our rest again.' |
| 19 |
Then out it speaks the third o them,
An ill death mat he die!
'We'll lurk amang the bent sae brown,
That Willie we may see.' |
| 20 |
He stood behind his love's curtains,
His goud rings showd him light;
And by this ye may a' weell guess
He was a renowned knight. |
| 21 |
He's done him to his love's stable,
Took out his berry-brown steed;
His love stood in her bower-door,
Her heart was like to bleed. |
| 22 |
'O mourn ye for my coming, love?
Or for my short staying?
Or mourn ye for our safe sindring,
Case we never meet again?' |
| 23 |
'I mourn nae for your here coming,
Nor for your staying lang;
Nor mourn I for our safe sindring,
I hope we'll meet again. |
| 24 |
'I wish ye may won safe away,
And safely frae the town;
For ken you not my brothers three
Are mang the bent sae brown?' |
| 25 |
'If I were on my berry-brown steed,
And three miles frae the town,
I woudna fear your three bauld brothers,
Amang the bent sae brown.' |
| 26 |
He leint him ower his saddle-bow,
And kissd her lips sae sweet;
The tears that fell between these twa,
They wat his great steed's feet. |
| 27 |
But he wasna on his berry-brown steed,
Nor twa miles frae the town,
Till up it starts these three fierce men,
Amang the bent sae brown. |
| 28 |
Then up they came like three fierce men,
Wi mony shout and cry:
'Bide still, bide still, ye cowardly youth,
What makes your haste away? |
| 29 |
'For I must know before you go,
Tell me, and make nae lie;
If ye've been in my sister's bower,
My hands hall gar ye die.' |
| 30 |
'Tho I've been in your sister's bower,
I have nae fear o thee;
I'll stand my ground, and fiercly fight,
Aud shall gain victorie.' |
| 31 |
'Now I entreat you for to stay,
Unto us gie a wad;
If ye our words do not obey,
I'se gar your body bleed.' |
| 32 |
'I have nae wad, says Sweet Willie,
Unless it be my brand,
And that shall guard my fair body,
Till I win frae your hand.' |
| 33 |
Then two o them stept in behind,
All in a furious meed;
The third o them came him before,
And seizd his berry-brown steed. |
| 34 |
O then he drew his trusty brand,
That hang down by his gare,
And he has slain these three fierce men,
And left them sprawling there. |
| 35 |
Then word has gane to her mother,
In bed where she slept soun,
That Willie had killd her three bauld sons,
Amang the bent sae brown. |
| 36 |
Then she has cut the locks that hung
Sae low down by her ee,
Sae has she kiltit her green claithing
A little aboon her knee. |
| 37 |
And she has on to the king's court,
As fast as gang coud she;
When Fair Annie got word o that,
Was there as soon as she. |
| 38 |
Her mother, when before the king,
Fell low down on her knee;
'Win up, win up, my dame,' he said,
'What is your will wi me?' |
| 39 |
'My wills they are not sma, my liege,
The truth I'll tell to thee;
There is ane o your courtly knights
Last night hae robbed me.' |
| 40 |
'And has he broke your bigly bowers?
Or has he stole your fee?
There is nae knight into my court
Last night has been frae me; |
| 41 |
'Unless 'twas Willie o Lauderdale,
Forbid that it be he!'
'And by my sooth,' says the auld woman,
'That very man is he. |
| 42 |
'For he has broke my bigly bowers,
And he has stole my fee,
And made my daughter Ann a whore,
And an ill woman is she. |
| 43 |
'That was not all he did to me,
Ere he went frae the town;
My sons sae true he fiercly slew,
Amang the bent sae brown.' |
| 44 |
Then out it spake her daughter Ann,
She stood by the king's knee:
'Ye lie, ye lie, my mother dear,
Sae loud's I hear you lie. |
| 45 |
'He has not broke your bigly bowers,
Nor has he stole your fee,
Nor made your daughter Ann a whore;
A good woman I'll be. |
| 46 |
'Altho he slew your three bauld sons,
He weel might be forgien;
They were well clad in armour bright,
Whan my love was him lane.' |
| 47 |
'Well spoke, well spoke,' the king replied,
'This tauking pleases me;
For ae kiss o your lovely mouth,
I'll set your true-love free.' |
| 48 |
She's taen the king in her arms,
And kissd him cheek and chin;
He then set her behind her love,
And they went singing hame. |
