Kinloch Manuscripts, I, 1,
from the recitation of Mary Barr, Lesmahago.
| 1 |
Sweet Willie and Fair Annie
Sat a' day on yon hill;
Though they had sat til the leventh o June,
They wad na got their fill. |
| 2 |
But Willie spak a word amiss,
Fair Annie took it ill:
'I'll neer marry a tocherless lass
Agen my ain friends' will.' |
| 3 |
Then on she lap, and awa she gat,
As fast as she could hie:
'Fare ye weel now, Sweet Willie,
It's fare ye weel a wee.' |
| 4 |
Then he is gane to his father's ha,
And tirled at the pin;
Then up and rase his father proud.
And loot Sweet Willie in. |
| 5 |
'Come riddle us, riddle us, father dear,
Yea both of us into ane;
Whether sall I marry Fair Annie,
Or bring the brown bride hame?' |
| 6 |
'The brown bride she has houses and land,
And Annie she has nane;
Sae on my blessing, my auld son,
Bring ye Brown Bride hame.' |
| 7 |
Then he is to his mither's bouer,
And tirled at the pin;
Then up and rose his mother dear
To let Sweet Willie in. |
| 8 |
'Come riddle us, riddle us, mother dear,
Yea baith o us into ane;
Whether sall I marry Fair Annie,
Or bring the brown bride hame?' |
| 9 |
'The brown bride she has gowd and gear,
Fair Annie she has nane;
And for my blessing, my auld son,
Bring ye Brown Bride hame.' |
| 10 |
Then he is to his sister's bouer,
And tirled at the pin;
And wha sae ready as his sister dear
To let her brither in. |
| 11 |
'Come riddle us, riddle us, sister fair,
Us baith yea into ane;
Whether sall I marry Fair Annie,
Or bring the brown bride hame?' |
| 12 |
'The brown bride she has horse and kye,
And Annie she has nane;
But for my love, my brither dear,
Bring hame the fair woman. |
| 13 |
'Your horse may dee into the staw,
The kye into the byre,
And ye'll hae nocht but a howther o dirt,
To feed about your fire.' |
| 14 |
Then he is to Fair Annie's bouer,
And tirled at the pin;
And wha sae ready as Fair Annie
To let Sweet Willie in. |
| 15 |
'You're welcome here to me, Willie,
You're welcome here to me:'
'I'm na welcome to thee, Annie,
I'm na welcome to thee,
For I'm come to bid ye to my wedding,
It's gey sad news to thee.' |
| 16 |
'It's gey sad news to me, Willie,
The saddest ye could tell;
It's gey sad news to me, Willie,
That shoud been bride mysel.' |
| 17 |
Then she is to her father gane,
And bowed low on her knee:
. . . . .
. . . . . |
| 18 |
'Come riddle us, riddle us, father dear,
Us baith yea into ane;
Whether sall I gang to Willie's wedding,
Or sall I stay at hame?' |
| 19 |
'Whare ane will be your frien, Annie,
Twenty will be your fae;'
'But prove it gude, or prove it bad,
To Willie's wedding I'll gae. |
| 20 |
'I'll na put on the grisly black,
Nor yet the dowie green,
But I'll put on a scarlet robe
To sheen like onie queen.' |
| 21 |
She's orderd the smiths to the smithy,
To shoe her a riding steed;
She has orderd the tailors to her bouer,
To dress her a riding weed. |
| 22 |
She has calld her maries to her bour,
To lay gowd on her hair:
'Whare e'er ye put ae plait before,
See ye lay ten times mair.' |
| 23 |
The steed Fair Annie rade upon,
He bounded like the wind;
Wi silver he was shod before,
Wi burning gowd behind. |
| 24 |
And four and twenty siller bells
War ti d til his mane;
Wi ae blast o the norland wind
They tinkled ane by ane. |
| 25 |
And whan she cam unto the place,
And lichted on the green,
Ilka ane that did her see
Thought that she was a queen. |
| 26 |
'Is this your bride, Sweet Willie?' she said,
'I think she's wondrous wan;
Ye micht have had as fair a bride
As eer the sun sheend on.' |
| 27 |
'O haud your tongue, Fair Annie,' he said,
'Wi your talk let me abee;
For better I loe your little finger
Than the brown bride's haill bodie.' |
| 28 |
Then out and spak the nut-brown bride,
And she spak out of spite:
'O whare gat ye the water, Annie,
That washd your face sae white?' |
| 29 |
'O I gat een the water,' quo she,
'Whare ye will neer get nane;
It's I gat een the water,' quo she,
'Aneath yon marble stane.' |
| 30 |
Then out and spake the nut-brown bride,
And she spak yet again:
'O whare gat ye the claith, Annie,
That dried your face sae clean?' |
| 31 |
'O I gat een the claith,' quo she,
'Whare ye will neer get nane;
It's I gat een the claith,' quo she,
'Aneath yon bouer o bane.' |
| 32 |
The brown bride had a little penknife,
Which she kept secret there;
She stabbd Fair Annie to the heart,
A deep wound and a sair. |
| 33 |
It's out and spak he Sweet Willie,
And he spak yet again:
'O what's the matter wi thee, Annie,
That ye do look sae wan?' |
| 34 |
'Oh are ye blind, Willie?' she said,
'Or do ye no weel see?
I think ye micht see my heart's blude,
Come rinning by my knee.' |
| 35 |
Then Willie took a little sword,
Which he kept secret there,
And strak the brown bride to the heart,
A word she neer spak mair. |
| 36 |
And after that a' this was dune,
He drew it through the strae,
And through his ain fair bodie
He causd the cauld iron gae. |
| 37 |
The last words that Sweet Willie spak,
His heart was almaist gane;
'May never a young man like me
Have sic a sad wedding. |
| 38 |
'For gear will come, and gear will gang,
And gear's ae but a lend,
And monie a ane for warld's gear
A silly brown bride brings hame.'
And monie a ane for warld's gear
A silly brown bride brings hame.' |
| 39 |
Sweet Willie was buried in Mary's kirk,
And Annie in Mary's quire,
And out o the ane there grew a birk,
And out o the ither a brier. |
| 40 |
And ae they grew, and ae they threw,
Until the twa did meet,
That ilka ane micht plainly see
They were true lovers sweet. |
