Skene Manuscript, p. 104; northeast of Scotland, 1802-03.
| 1 |
Sweet Willie and Fair Annie,
They sat on yon hill,
And frae the morning till night
This twa neer talked their fill. |
| 2 |
Willie spak a word in jest,
And Ann took it ill:
'We's court na mare maidens,
Against our parent's will.' |
| 3 |
'It's na against our parent's will,'
Fair Annie she did say,
. . . . .
. . . . . |
| 4 |
Willie is hame to his bower,
To his book all alane,
And Fair Annie is to her bower,
To her book and her seam. |
| 5 |
Sweet Willie is to his mother dear,
Fell low down on his knee:
'An asking, my mother dear,
And ye grant it to me;
O will I marry the nut-brown may,
An lat Fair Annie gae?' |
| 6 |
'The nut-brown may has ousen, Willie,
The nut-brown may has key;
An ye will winn my blessing, Willie,
And latt Fair Annie be.' |
| 7 |
He did him to his father dear,
Fell low down on his knee:
'An asking, my father,
An ye man grant it me.' |
| 8 |
'Ask on, my ae son Willie,
Ye'r sur yer askin's free;
Except it is to marry her Fair Annie,
And that manna be.' |
| 9 |
Out spak his little sister,
As she [sat] by the fire:
'The ox-leg will brack in the plough,
And the cow will drown in the mire. |
| 10 |
'An Willie will ha nathing
But the dam to sitt by the fire;
Fair Annie will sit in her beagly bower,
An winn a earl's hire.' |
| 11 |
'Fair faa ye, my little sister,
A guid dead mat ye die!
An ever I hae goud,
Well tochered sall ye be.' |
| 12 |
He's awa to Fair Annie,
As fast as gan could he:
'O will ye come to my marriage?
The morn it is to be.' |
| 13 |
'O I will come to yer marriage,
The morn, gin I can win.'
. . . . .
. . . . . |
| 14 |
Annie did her to her father dear,
Fell down on her knee:
'An askin, my father,
And ye man grant it me;
Lat me to Sweet Willie's marriage,
The morn it is to be.' |
| 15 |
'Yer horse sall be siller shod afore,
An guid red goud ahin,
An bells in his mane,
To ring against the win.' |
| 16 |
She did her to her mother dear,
Fell down on her knee:
'Will ye lat me to Willie's marriage?
The morn it is to be;'
'I'll lat ye to Willie's marriage,
An we the morn see.' |
| 17 |
Whan Annie was in her saddle set
She flam'd against the fire;
The girdle about her sma middle
Wad a won an earl's hire. |
| 18 |
Whan they came to Mary kirk,
And on to Mary quire,
'O far gat ye that watter, Ann,
That washes ye sae clear?' |
| 19 |
'I got it in my father's garden,
Aneth a marbell stane;
. . . . .
. . . . . |
| 20 |
'O whar gat ye that water, Annie,
That washes ye sae fite?'
'I gat it in my mother's womb,
Whar ye['s] never get the like. |
| 21 |
'For ye ha been christned wi moss-water,
An roked in the reak,
An ser brunt in yer mither's womb,
For I think ye'll neer be fite.' |
| 22 |
The nut-brown bride pat her hand in
. . . at Annie['s] left ear,
And gin her . . . .
A deep wound and a sare. |
| 23 |
Than . . Annie ged on her horse back,
An fast away did ride,
But lang or cock's crowing,
Fair Annie was dead. |
| 24 |
Whan bells were rung, and mess was sung,
An a' man boun to bed,
Sweet Willie and the nut-brown bride
In a chamber were laid. |
| 25 |
But up and wakend him Sweet Willie
Out of his dreary dream:
'I dreamed a dream this night,
God read a' dream to guid! |
| 26 |
'That Fair Annies bowr was full of gentlemen,
An herself was dead;
But I will on to Fair Annie,
An si't if it be guid.' |
| 27 |
Seven lang mile or he came near,
He heard a dolefull chear,
Her father and her seven brithern,
Walking at her bier;
The half of it guid red goud,
The other silver clear. |
| 28 |
'Ye deal at my love's leak
The white bread an the wine;
But on the morn at this time
Ye's dee the like at mine.' |
| 29 |
The ane was buried at Mary kirk,
The ither at Mary quire;
Out of the ane grew a birk,
Out of the ither a briar. |
| 30 |
An aye the langer that they grew,
They came the ither near,
An by that ye might a well kent
They were twa lovers dear. |
