Jamieson's Popular Ballads, I, 22,
from the recitation of Mrs. W. Arrot, of Aberhrothick,
as learned by her when a child from an elderly maid-servant.
| 1 |
Sweet Willie and Fair Annie
Sat a' day on a hill,
And though they had sitten seven year,
They neer wad had their fill. |
| 2 |
Sweet Willie said a word in haste,
And Annie took it ill:
'I winna wed a tocherless maid,
Against my parents' will.' |
| 3 |
'Ye're come o the rich, Willie,
And I'm come o the poor;
I'm oer laigh to be your bride,
And I winna be your whore.' |
| 4 |
O Annie she's gane till her bower,
And Willie down the den,
And he's come till his mither's bower,
By the lei light o the moon. |
| 5 |
'O sleep ye, wake ye, mither?' he says,
'Or are ye the bower within?'
'I sleep richt aft, I wake richt aft;
What want ye wi me, son? |
| 6 |
'Whare hae ye been a' nicht, Willie?
O wow, ye've tarried lang!'
'I have been courtin Fair Annie,
And she is frae me gane. |
| 7 |
'There is twa maidens in a bower;
Which o them sall I bring hame?
The nut-brown maid has sheep and cows,
And Fair Annie has nane.' |
| 8 |
'It's an ye wed the nut-brown maid,
I'll heap gold wi my hand;
But an ye wed her Fair Annie,
I'll straik it wi a wand. |
| 9 |
'The nut-brown maid has sheep and cows,
And Fair Annie has nane;
And Willie, for my benison,
The nut-brown maid bring hame.' |
| 10 |
'O I sall wed the nut-brown maid,
And I sall bring her hame;
But peace nor rest between us twa,
Till death sinder's again. |
| 11 |
'But, alas, alas!' says Sweet Willie,
'O fair is Annie's face!'
'But what's the matter, my son Willie?
She has nae ither grace.' |
| 12 |
'Alas, alas!' says Sweet Willie,
'But white is Annie's hand!'
'But what's the matter, my son Willie?
She hasna a fur o land.' |
| 13 |
'Sheep will die in cots, mither,
And owsen die in byre;
And what's this warld's wealth to me,
An I get na my heart's desire? |
| 14 |
'Whare will I get a bonny boy,
That wad fain win hose and shoon,
That will rin to Fair Annie's bower,
Wi the lei light o the moon? |
| 15 |
'Ye'll tell her to come to Willie's weddin,
The morn at twal at noon;
Ye'll tell her to come to Willie's weddin,
The heir o Duplin town. |
| 16 |
'She manna put on the black, the black,
Nor yet the dowie brown,
But the scarlet sae red, and the kerches sae white,
And her bonny locks hangin down.' |
| 17 |
He is on to Annie's bower,
And tirled at the pin,
And wha was sae ready as Annie hersel
To open and let him in. |
| 18 |
'Ye are bidden come to Willie's weddin,
The morn at twal at noon;
Ye are bidden come to Willie's weddin,
The heir of Duplin town. |
| 19 |
'Ye manna put on the black, the black,
Nor yet the dowie brown,
But the scarlet sae red, and the kerches sae white,
And your bonny locks hangin down.' |
| 20 |
'It's I will come to Willie's weddin,
The morn at twal at noon;
It's I will come to Willie's weddin,
But I rather the mass had been mine. |
| 21 |
'Maidens, to my bower come,
And lay gold on my hair;
And whare ye laid ae plait before,
Ye'll now lay ten times mair. |
| 22 |
'Taylors, to my bower come,
And mak to me a weed;
And smiths, unto my stable come,
And shoe to me a steed.' |
| 23 |
At every tate o Annie's horse mane
There hang a silver bell,
And there came a wind out frae the south,
Which made them a' to knell. |
| 24 |
And whan she came to Mary-kirk,
And sat down in the deas,
The light that came frae Fair Annie
Enlightend a' the place. |
| 25 |
But up and stands the nut-brown bride,
Just at her father's knee:
'O wha is this, my father dear,
That blinks in Willie's ee?'
'O this is Willie's first true-love,
Before he loved thee.' |
| 26 |
'If that be Willie's first true-love,
He might hae latten me be;
She has as much gold on ae finger
As I'll wear till I die. |
| 27 |
'O whare got ye that water, Annie,
That washes you sae white?'
'I got it in my mither's wambe,
Whare ye'll neer get the like. |
| 28 |
'For ye've been washd in Dunny's well,
And dried on Dunny's dyke,
And a' the water in the sea
Will never wash ye white.' |
| 29 |
Willie's taen a rose out o his hat,
Laid it in Annie's lap:
. . . . .
'Hae, wear it for my sake.' |
| 30 |
'Tak up and wear your rose, Willie,
And wear't wi mickle care;
For the woman sall never bear a son
That will make my heart sae sair.' |
| 31 |
Whan night was come, and day was gane,
And a' man boun to bed,
Sweet Willie and the nut-brown bride
In their chamber were laid. |
| 32 |
They werena weel lyen down,
And scarcely fa'n asleep,
Whan up and stands she Fair Annie,
Just up at Willie's feet. |
| 33 |
'Weel brook ye o your brown, brown bride,
Between ye and the wa;
And sae will I o my winding sheet,
That suits me best ava. |
| 34 |
'Weel brook ye o your brown, brown bride,
Between ye and the stock;
And sae will I o my black, black kist,
That has neither key nor lock.' |
| 35 |
Sad Willie raise, put on his claise,
Drew till him his hose and shoon,
And he is on to Annie's bower,
By the lei light o the moon. |
| 36 |
The firsten bower that he came till,
There was right dowie wark;
Her mither and her three sisters
Were makin to Annie a sark. |
| 37 |
The nexten bower that he came till,
There was right dowie cheir;
Her father and her seven brethren
Were makin to Annie a bier. |
| 38 |
The lasten bower that he came till,
. . . . .
. . . . .
And Fair Annie streekit there. |
| 39 |
He's lifted up the coverlet,
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . . |
| 40 |
'It's I will kiss your bonny cheek,
And I will kiss your chin,
And I will kiss your clay-cald lip,
But I'll never kiss woman again. |
| 41 |
'The day ye deal at Annie's burial
The bread but and the wine;
Before the morn at twall o'clock,
They'll deal the same at mine.' |
| 42 |
The tane was buried in Mary's kirk,
The tither in Mary's quire,
And out o the tane there grew a birk,
And out o the tither a brier. |
| 43 |
And ay they grew, and ay the drew,
Untill they twa did meet,
And every ane that past them by
Said, Thae's been lovers sweet! |
