Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 299.
| 1 |
'There is a bird in my father's orchard,
And dear, but it sings sweet!
I hope to live to see the day
This bird and I will meet.' |
| 2 |
'O hold your tongue, my daughter Mally,
Let a' your folly be;
What bird is that in my orchard
Sae shortsome is to thee? |
| 3 |
'There are four-an-twenty noble lords
The morn shoud dine wi me;
And ye maun serve them a', Mally,
Like one for meat and fee.' |
| 4 |
She servd the nobles all as one,
The horsemen much the same;
But her mind was aye to Brown Robyn,
Beneath the heavy rain. |
| 5 |
Then she's rowd up a thousand pounds
Intil a servit white,
And she gae that to Brown Robyn,
Out ower the garden-dyke:
Says, Take ye that, my love Robyn,
And mysell gin ye like. |
| 6 |
'If this be true, my dame,' he said,
'That ye hae tauld to me,
About the hour o twall at night,
At your bower-door I'll be.' |
| 7 |
But ere the hour o twall did chap,
And lang ere it was ten,
She had hersell there right and ready
To lat Brown Robyn in. |
| 8 |
They hadna kissd nor love clapped
Till the birds sang on the ha;
'O,' sighing says him Brown Robyn,
'I wish I were awa!' |
| 9 |
They hadna sitten muckle langer
Till the guards shot ower the way;
Then sighing says him Brown Robyn,
'I fear my life this day.' |
| 10 |
'O had your tongue, my love Robyn,
Of this take ye nae doubt;
It was by wiles I brought you in,
By wiles I'll bring you out.' |
| 11 |
Then she's taen up a cup o wine,
To her father went she;
'O drink the wine, father,' she said,
'O drink the wine wi me.' |
| 12 |
'O well love I the cup, daughter,
But better love I the wine;
And better love I your fair body
Than a' the gowd in Spain.' |
| 13 |
'Wae be to the wine, father,
That last came ower the sea;
Without the air o gude greenwood,
There's nae remeid for me.' |
| 14 |
'Ye've thirty maries in your bower,
Ye've thirty and hae three;
Send ane o them to pu a flower,
Stay ye at hame wi me.' |
| 15 |
'I've thirty maries in my bower,
I've thirty o them and nine;
But there's nae a marie amo them a'
That kens my grief and mind. |
| 16 |
'For they may pu the nut, the nut,
And sae may they the slae,
But there's nane amo them a' that kens
The herb that I woud hae.' |
| 17 |
'Well, gin ye gang to gude greenwood,
Come shortly back again;
Ye are sae fair and are sae rare,
Your body may get harm.' |
| 18 |
She dressd hersell into the red,
Brown Robyn all in green,
And put his brand across his middle,
He was a stately dame. |
| 19 |
The first ane stepped ower the yett,
It was him Brown Robyn;
'By my sooth,' said the proud porter,
'This is a stately dame. |
| 20 |
'O wi your leave, lady,' he said,
'And leave o a' your kin,
I woudna think it a great sin
To turn that marie in.' |
| 21 |
'O had your tongue, ye proud porter,
Let a' your folly be;
Ye darena turn a marie in
That ance came forth wi me.' |
| 22 |
'Well shall I call your maries out,
And as well shall I in;
For I am safe to gie my oath
That marie is a man.' |
| 23 |
Soon she went to gude greenwood,
And soon came back again;
'Gude sooth,' replied the proud porter,
'We've lost our stately dame.' |
| 24 |
'My maid's faen sick in gude greenwood,
And sick and liken to die;
The morn before the cocks do craw,
That marie I maun see.' |
| 25 |
Out it spake her father then,
Says, Porter, let me know
If I will cause her stay at hame,
Or shall I let her go? |
| 26 |
'She says her maid's sick in the wood,
And sick and like to die;
I really think she is too gude
Nor ever woud make a lie.' |
| 27 |
Then he whispered in her ear,
As she was passing by,
'What will ye say if I reveal
What I saw wi my eye?' |
| 28 |
'If ought ye ken about the same,
O heal that well on me,
And if I live or brook my life,
Rewarded ye shall be.' |
| 29 |
Then she got leave o her father
To gude greenwood again,
And she is gane wi Brown Robyn,
But 'twas lang ere she came hame. |
| 30 |
O then her father began to mourn,
And thus lamented he:
'O I woud gie ten thousand pounds
My daughter for to see.' |
| 31 |
'If ye will promise,' the porter said,
'To do nae injury,
I will find out your daughter dear,
And them that's gane her wi.' |
| 32 |
Then he did swear a solemn oath,
By a' his gowd and land,
Nae injury to them's be dune,
Whether it be maid or man. |
| 33 |
The porter then a letter wrote,
And seald it wi his hand,
And sent it to that lady fair,
For to return hame. |
| 34 |
When she came to her father's ha,
He received her joyfullie,
And married her to Brown Robyn;
Now a happy man was he. |
| 35 |
She hadna been in her father's ha
A day but barely three,
Till she settled the porter well for life,
Wi gowd and white monie. |
