| 1 |
Gil Morrice was an erles son,
His name it waxed wide;
It was nae for his great riches,
Nor yet his mickle pride,
Bot it was for a lady gay,
That livd on Carron side. |
| 2 |
'Whair sall I get a bonny boy,
That will win hose and shoen,
That will gae to Lord Barnard's ha,
And bid his lady cum? |
| 3 |
'And ye maun rin errand, Willie,
And ye may rin wi pride;
When other boys gae on their foot,
On horseback ye sall ride.' |
| 4 |
'O no! Oh no! my master dear,
I dare nae for my life;
I'll no gae to the bauld baron's,
For to triest furth his wife.' |
| 5 |
'My bird Willie, my boy Willie,
My dear Willie,' he sayd,
'How can ye strive against the stream?
For I sall be obeyd.' |
| 6 |
'Bot, O my master dear,' he cry'd,
'In grene-wod ye're your lain;
Gi owre sic thochts, I walde ye rede,
For fear ye should be tain.'
Gi owre sic thochts, I walde ye rede,
For fear ye should be tain.' |
| 7 |
fear ye should be tain.' |
| 7 |
fear ye should be tain.' |
| 7 |
'Haste, haste, I say, gae to the ha,
Bid hir cum here wi speid;
If ye refuse my heigh command,
I'll gar your body bleid. |
| 8 |
'Gae bid hir take this gay mantel,
'Tis a' gowd but the hem;
Bid hir cum to the gude grene-wode,
And bring nane bot hir lain. |
| 9 |
'And there it is, a silken sarke,
Hir ain hand sewd the sleive;
And bid her cum to Gill Morice,
Speir nae bauld baron's leave.' |
| 10 |
'Yes, I will gae your black errand,
Though it be to your cost;
Sen ye by me will nae be warnd,
In it ye sall find frost. |
| 11 |
'The baron he's a man of might,
He neir could bide to taunt;
As ye will see, before it's nicht,
How sma ye hae to vaunt. |
| 12 |
'And sen I maun your errand rin,
Sae sair against my will,
I'se mak a vow, and keip it trow,
It sall be done for ill.' |
| 13 |
And when he came to broken brigue,
He bent his bow and swam;
And when [he] came to grass growing,
Set down his feet and ran. |
| 14 |
And when he came to Barnard's ha,
Would neither chap nor ca,
Bot set his bent bow to his breist,
And lichtly lap the wa. |
| 15 |
He wauld nae tell the man his errand,
Though he stude at the gait;
Bot straiht into the ha he cam,
Whair they were set at meit. |
| 16 |
'Hail! hail! my gentle sire and dame,
My message winna waite;
Dame, ye maun to the gude grene-wod,
Before that it be late. |
| 17 |
'Ye're bidden tak this gay mantel,
'Tis a' gowd bot the hem;
You maun gae to the gude grene-wode,
Evn by your sel alane. |
| 18 |
'And there it is, a silken sarke,
Your ain hand sewd the sleive;
Ye maun gae speik to Gill Morice,
Speir nae bauld baron's leave.' |
| 19 |
The lady stamped wi hir foot,
And winked wi hir ee;
But a' that she coud say or do,
Forbidden he wad nae bee. |
| 20 |
'It's surely to my bowr-woman;
It neir could be to me:'
'I brocht it to Lord Barnard's lady;
I trow that ye be she.' |
| 21 |
Then up and spack the wylie nurse,
The bairn upon hir knee:
'If it be cum frae Gill Morice,
It's deir welcum to mee.' |
| 22 |
'Ye leid, ye leid, ye filthy nurse,
Sae loud's I heire ye lee;
I brocht it to Lord Barnard's lady;
I trow ye be nae shee.' |
| 23 |
Then up and spack the bauld baron,
An angry man was hee;
He's tain the table wi his foot,
Sae has he wi his knee,
Till siller cup and ezar dish
In flinders he gard flee. |
| 24 |
'Gae bring a robe of your cliding,
That hings upon the pin,
And I'll gae to the gude grene-wode,
And speik wi your lemman.' |
| 25 |
'O bide at hame, now, Lord Barnard,
I warde ye bide at hame;
Neir wyte a man for violence
That neir wate ye wi nane.' |
| 26 |
Gil Morice sate in gude grene-wode,
He whistled and he sang:
'O what mean a' the folk coming?
My mother tarries lang.' |
| 27 |
The baron came to the grene-wode,
Wi mickle dule and care,
And there he first spied Gill Morice,
Kameing his yellow hair. |
| 28 |
'Nae wonder, nae wonder, Gill Morice,
My lady loed thee weel;
The fairest part of my body
Is blacker than thy heel. |
| 29 |
'Yet neir the less now, Gill Morice,
For a' thy great bewty,
Ye's rew the day ye eir was born;
That head sall gae wi me.' |
| 30 |
Now he has drawn his trusty brand,
And slaited on the strae,
And thro Gill Morice fair body
He's gard cauld iron gae. |
| 31 |
And he has tain Gill Morice head,
And set it on a speir;
The meanest man in a' his train
Has gotten that head to bear. |
| 32 |
And he has tain Gill Morice up,
Laid him across his steid,
And brocht him to his painted bowr,
And laid him on a bed. |
| 33 |
The lady sat on castil-wa,
Beheld baith dale and doun,
And there she saw Gill Morice head
Cum trailing to the toun. |
| 34 |
'Far better I loe that bluidy head,
Bot and that yellow hair,
Than Lord Barnard, and a' his lands,
As they lig here and thair.' |
| 35 |
And she has tain hir Gill Morice,
And kissd baith mouth and chin:
'I was once as fow of Gill Morice
As the hip is o the stean. |
| 36 |
'I got ye in my father's house,
Wi mickle sin and shame;
I brocht thee up in gude green-wode,
Under the heavy rain. |
| 37 |
'Oft have I by thy cradle sitten,
And fondly seen thee sleip;
Bot now I gae about thy grave,
The saut tears for to weip.' |
| 38 |
And syne she kissd his bluidy cheik,
And syne his bluidy chin:
'O better I loe my Gill Morice
Than a' my kith and kin!' |
| 39 |
'Away, away, ye ill woman,
And an il deith mait ye dee!
Gin I had kend he'd bin your son,
He'd neir bin slain for mee.' |
