Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 281.
| 1 |
I'LL tell you a tale, or I'll sing you a song,
Will grieve your heart full sair;
How the twa bonny clerks o Oxenford
Went aff to learn their lear. |
| 2 |
Their father lovd them very weel,
Their mother muckle mair,
And sent them on to Billsbury,
To learn deeper lear. |
| 3 |
Then out it spake their mother dear:
'Do weel, my sons, do weel,
And haunt not wi the young women,
Wi them to play the fiel.' |
| 4 |
Their father sware them on their souls,
Their mother on their life,
Never to lie wi the auld mayor's daughters,
Nor kiss the young mayor's wife. |
| 5 |
But they hadna been in Billsbury
A twallmonth and a day,
Till the twa bonny clerks o Oxenford
With the mayor's twa daughters lay. |
| 6 |
As these twa clerks they sat and wrote,
The ladies sewed and sang;
There was mair mirth in that chamber
Than all fair Ferrol's land. |
| 7 |
But word's gane to the wicked mayor,
As he sat at the wine,
That the twa bonny clerks o Oxenford
With his twa daughters had lyne. |
| 8 |
'O have they lain with my daughters dear,
Heirs out ower a' my land,
The morn, ere I eat or drink,
I'll hang them with my hand.' |
| 9 |
Then he has taen the twa bonny clerks,
Bound them frae tap to tae,
Till the reddest blood in their body
Out ower their nails did gae. |
| 10 |
'Whare will I get a little wee boy,
Will win gowd to his fee,
That will rin on to Oxenford,
And that right speedilie?' |
| 11 |
Then up it starts a bonny boy,
Gold yellow was his hair;
I wish his father and mother joy,
His true-love muckle mair. |
| 12 |
Says, Here am I, a little wee boy,
Will win gowd to my fee,
That will rin on to Oxenford,
And that right speedilie. |
| 13 |
'Where ye find the grass green growing,
Set down your heel and rin,
And where ye find the brigs broken,
Ye'll bend your bow and swim. |
| 14 |
'But when ye come to Oxenford,
Bide neither to chap nor ca,
But set your bent bow to your breast,
And lightly loup the wa.' |
| 15 |
Where he found the grass green growing,
He slackt his shoes and ran,
And where he found the brigs broken,
He bent his bow and swam. |
| 16 |
And when he came to Oxenford,
Did neither chap nor ca,
But set his bent bow to his breast,
And lightly leapt the wa. |
| 17 |
'What news, what news, my little wee boy?
What news hae ye to me?
How are my sons in Billsbury,
Since they went far frae me?' |
| 18 |
'Your sons are well, and learning well,
But at a higher school,
And ye'll never see your sons again.
On the holy days o Yule.' |
| 19 |
'Wi sorrow now gae make my bed,
Wi care and caution lay me down;
That man on earth shall neer be born
Shall see me mair gang on the groun. |
| 20 |
'Take twenty pounds in your pocket,
And ten and ten to tell them wi,
And gin ye getna hynde Henry,
Bring ye gay Gilbert hame to me.' |
| 21 |
Out it speaks old Oxenford,
A sorry, sorry man, was he:
Out it speaks old Oxenford,
A sorry, sorry man, was he:
'Your strange wish does me surprise,
They are baith there alike to me. |
| 22 |
'Wi sorrow now I'll saddle my horse,
And I will gar my bridle ring,
And I shall be at Billsbury
Before the small birds sweetly sing.' |
| 23 |
Then sweetly sang the nightingale,
As she sat on the wand,
But sair, sair, mournd Oxenford,
As he gaed in the strand. |
| 24 |
When he came to Billsbury,
He rade it round about,
And at a little shott-window
His sons were looking out. |
| 25 |
'O lye ye there, my sons,' he said,
'For oxen, or for kye?
Or is it for a little o deep dear love,
Sae sair bound as ye lye?' |
| 26 |
'We lye not here, father,' they said,
'For oxen, nor for kye;
It's all for a little o deep dear love,
Sae sair bound as we lye. |
| 27 |
'O borrow's, borrow's, father,' they said,
'For the love we bear to thee!'
'O never fear, my pretty sons,
Well borrowed ye shall be.' |
| 28 |
Then he's gane to the wicked mayor,
And hailed him courteouslie:
'Good day, good day, O Billsbury,
God make you safe and free!'
'Come sit you down, brave Oxenford,
God make you safe and free!'
'Come sit you down, brave Oxenford,
What are your wills with me?' |
| 29 |
'Will ye gie me my sons again,
For gold or yet for fee?
Will ye gie me my sons again,
For's sake that died on tree?' |
| 30 |
'I winna gie you your sons again,
For gold nor yet for fee;
But if ye'll stay a little while,
Ye'se see them hanged hie.' |
| 31 |
Ben it came the mayor's daughters,
Wi kirtle, coat alone;
Their eyes did sparkle like the gold,
As they tript on the stone. |
| 32 |
'Will ye gie us our loves, father,
For gold or yet for fee?
Or will ye take our own sweet life,
And let our true-loves be?' |
| 33 |
He's taen a whip into his hand,
And lashed them wondrous sair:
Gae to your bowers, ye vile rank whores,
Ye'se never see them mair. |
| 34 |
Then out it speaks old Oxenford,
A sorry man was he:
'Gang to your bowers, ye lily-flowers,
For a' this maunna be.' |
| 35 |
Out it speaks him hynde Henry:
'Come here, Janet, to me;
Will ye gie me my faith and troth,
And love, as I gae thee?' |
| 36 |
'Ye shall hae your faith and troth,
Wi God's blessing and mine;'
And twenty times she kissd his mouth,
Her father looking on. |
| 37 |
Then out it speaks him gay Gilbert:
'Come here, Margaret, to me;
Will ye gie me my faith and troth,
And love, as I gae thee?' |
| 38 |
'Yes, ye shall get your faith and troth,
Wi God's blessing and mine;'
And twenty times she kissd his mouth,
Her father looking on. |
| 39 |
'Ye'll take aff your twa black hats,
Lay them down on a stone,
That nane may ken that ye are clerks
Till ye are putten down.' |
| 40 |
The bonny clerks they died that morn,
Their loves died lang ere noon;
Their father and mother for sorrow died,
They all died very soon. |
| 41 |
These six souls went up to heaven,
I wish sae may we a'!
The mighty mayor went down to hell,
For wrong justice and law. |
