Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 157, from the recitation of Agnes
Laird, Kilbarchan, 1825.
| 1 |
'Come read my rede, O mother dear,
Come riddle it all in one;
O whether will I take Fair Annie,
Or bring the brown bride home?' |
| 2 |
'The brown, brown bride has kye and ewes,
Fair Annie she has none;
She has nothing but a bonny, bonny face,
And that'll soon be gone.' |
| 3 |
'Where will I get a pretty little boy,
That'll rin my errands soon,
That will rin to Fair Annie's bower,
And bid her to my wedding?' |
| 4 |
'Here am I, a pretty little boy,
That'll rin your errands soon,
That will rin to Fair Annie's bower,
And bid her to your wedding.' |
| 5 |
'Forbid her to put on her silks so black,
Or yet her silks so brown;
But she must put on her suddled silks,
That she wears up and down. |
| 6 |
'Forbid her to put on her silks so green,
Or yet her sils so gray;
But she must put on her suddled silks,
That she wears every day.' |
| 7 |
When he gade to Fair Annie's bower,
He tirled at the pin;
So ready was Fair Annie hersell
To open and let him in. |
| 8 |
'What news, what news, my little boy?
What news hast thou to me?'
'You must prepare for Lord Thomas' wedding,
And that's bad news for thee.' |
| 9 |
'Good news, good news,' Fair Annie says,
'Good news is it for me,
For me to be bride and him bridegroom,
And that's good news for me.' |
| 10 |
'He forbids thee to put on thy silks so black,
Or yet thy silks so brown;
But thou must put on thy suddled silks,
That thou wears up and down. |
| 11 |
'He forbids you to put on thy silks so green,
Or yet thy silks so gray;
But thou must on thy suddled silks,
That thou wears every day.' |
| 12 |
'There are smiths into my smiddy-bour
That'll dress to me a steed,
There are tailors in my tailor-house
That'll dress to me a weed. |
| 13 |
'There are maidens in my maiden-bower
That'll lay gold in my hair,
And where eer there were ane link before,
It shall be nine times mair.' |
| 14 |
Then Annie got herself attired,
In all things very fine,
With red ribbons, and silks so fair,
That owre her shoulders shine. |
| 15 |
When she came to Lord Thomas' yett,
She shined amang them a',
And the buttons on Lord Thomas' coat
Brusted and brak in twa. |
| 16 |
'Brown, brown is your steed,' she says,
'But browner is your bride;
But gallant is that handkerchy
That hideth her din hide.' |
| 17 |
'O hold thy peace, Fair Annie,' he says,
'Speak not of that to me,
For happy is that bonny, bonny lad
That leads his life with thee.' |
| 18 |
Then out bespoke the brown, brown bride,
And she spoke out with spite:
'O whare gets thou that water-cherry,
That washes thee so white?' |
| 19 |
'I got in my father's garden,
Below an olive tree,
And although thou war to seek long seven years
That water thou'll never see. |
| 20 |
'Tho thou hast got Lord Thomas' hand
That water thou'll neer see;
For thou's sunbrunt from thy mother's womb,
And thou'll never be like me.'
* * * * * |
