| 1 |
'We was sisters, we was seven,
Five of us dayed we child,
An you an me, Burd Ellen,
Sall live maidens mild.' |
| 2 |
Ther came leards, and ther came lords,
An knights of high degree,
A' courting Lady Messry,
Bat it widne deei. |
| 3 |
Bat the bonny lord of Livenston,
He was flour of them a',
The bonny lord of Livenston,
He stole the lady awaa. |
| 4 |
Broad was the horses hoves
That dumped the water of Clide,
An a' was for honor of that gay lady
That day she was Livenston's bride. |
| 5 |
Fan she came to Livenston
Mukell mirth was ther;
The knights knaked ther whit fingers
The ladys curled ther hear. |
| 6 |
She had no ben in Livenston
A tuall-month an a day,
Till she was as big we bearn
As a lady coud gaa. |
| 7 |
She had ne ben in Livenston
A tuall-month an a hour,
Till for the morning of the may
The couldne ane come near her bour. |
| 8 |
'Far will I gett a bonny boy
That will rean my earend shoun,
That will goo to leve London,
To my mother, the quin?' |
| 9 |
'Hear am I, a bonny boy
Will rin yer earend sune,
That will rin on to fair London,
To yer mother, the quin.' |
| 10 |
'Hear is the bruch fra my breast-bane,
The garlands fra my hear;
Ye ge that to my mider,
Fra me she'll never gett mare. |
| 11 |
'Hear is the rosses fra my shoun,
The ribbons fra my hear;
Ye gee that to my mider,
Fra me she'll never gett mare. |
| 12 |
'Hear is my briddel-stand,
It is a' goud to the heam;
Ye gie that to Burd Ellen,
Forbed her to marry men. |
| 13 |
'Ye bid them and ye pray them bath,
If they will dou it for my sake,
If they be not att my death,
To be att my leak-wake. |
| 14 |
'Ye bid them and ye pray them baith,
If they will dou it for my name,
If they be not att my leak-wake,
To be att my birrien.' |
| 15 |
Fan he came to grass grouen,
He strated his bou an rane,
An fan he came to brigs broken
He slaked his bou an swam. |
| 16 |
An fan he came to yon castell,
He bad nether to chap nor caa,
But sait his bent bou to his breast
An lightly lap the waa;
Or the porter was att the gate,
The boy was in the haa. |
| 17 |
'Mukell meatt is on yer table, lady,
A littil of it is eaten,
Bat the bonny lady of Livenston
Ye have her clean forgotten.' |
| 18 |
'Ye lie, ye lie, ye bonny boy,
Sae loud as I hear ye lie;
Mukell ha I sold the [meatt],
An littel hae I bought,
Batt the bonny lady of Livenston
Gass never out of my thought. |
| 19 |
'Mukell have I bought, bonny boy,
An littel haa I sale,
Bat the bonny lady of Livenston
She couls my heart fue cale.' |
| 20 |
'Hear is the ribbings fra her hear,
The roses fra her shoun;
I was bidden gie that to her midder,
To her midder, the quin. |
| 21 |
'Hear is the bruch fra her breast-bean,
The garlands frae her hear;
I was bidden gee that to her mother,
Fra her she'll never gett mare. |
| 22 |
'Hear is her bridell-stand,
The'r a' goud to the heam;
I was bidden ga that to Burd Ellen,
Forbid her to marry man. |
| 23 |
'She bids ye on she prays ye bath,
Gin yee'll di et for her sake,
If ye be not att her death,
To be att her leak-wake. |
| 24 |
'She bids yee an she prays ye bath,
Gine ye'll dou et for her name,
If ye be not att her leak-wake,
To be at her burrien.' |
| 25 |
'Garr saddell to me the blak,
Saddle to me the broun,
Gar saddel to me the suiftest stead
That ever read fraa a toun,
Till I gaa to Livenston
An see hou Measry fairs.' |
| 26 |
The first stead was saddled to her,
It was the bonny black;
She spured him aftt and she spared him na,
An she tayened him at a slap. |
| 27 |
The neast stead that was saddled to her
Was the berrey-broun;
She spured him aftt an she spared him not,
An she tayned him att a toun. |
| 28 |
The neast an steed that was saddled to her,
It was the milk-white:
'Fair faa the mear that folled the foll
Had me to Meassry's leak!' |
| 29 |
Fan she came to Livenston,
Mukel dolle was ther;
The knights wrang ther whit fingers,
The ladys tore ther hear. |
| 30 |
The knights they wrang ther whit fingers,
The rings they flue in four:
'Latt haas an tours an a' doun fau!
My dear thing has gine it our.' |
| 31 |
Our spak him Livenston,
An a sorry man was he;
'I had rader lost the lands of Livenston,
Afor my gay lady.' |
| 32 |
'Had yer toung nou, Livenston,
An latt yer folly be;
I bare the burd in my bosom,
I man thole to see her diee.' |
| 33 |
Fan she came to her doughter's boure,
Ther was littel pride;
The scoups was in her doughter's mouth,
An the sharp shirrs in her side. |
| 34 |
Out spake her Burd Ellen,
An she spake ay threu pride;
The wife sall never bear the sin
Sall lay doun by my side. |
| 35 |
'Had your toung nou, Burd Ellen,
Ye latt yer folly a be;
Dinn ye mind that ye promised yer love
To him that is ayond the seaa?' |
| 36 |
'Hold yer toung, my mother,
Ye speak just leak a fooll;
Tho I wer marred att Martimes,
I wad be dead or Yeull.' |
| 37 |
'I have five bonny oyes att heam,
Ther was never ane of them born,
Bat every ane of them
Out of ther midder's sides shorn.' |
