Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 111.
| 1 |
As I walked on a pleasant green —
'Twas on the first morning of May —
I heard twa brothers make their moan,
And hearkend well what they did say. |
| 2 |
The first he gave a grievous sigh,
And said, Alas, and wae is me!
We hae a brother condemned to death,
And the very morn must hanged be. |
| 3 |
Then out it speaks him Little Dick,
I wat a gude fellow was he:
'Had I three men unto mysell,
Well borrowed shoud Bell Archie be.' |
| 4 |
Out it speaks him Johnny Ha,
A better fellow by far was he:
'Ye shall hae six men and yoursell,
And me to bear you companie. |
| 5 |
'Twa for keepers o the guard,
See that to keep it sickerlie,
And twa to come, and twa to gang,
And twa to speak wi Bell Archie. |
| 6 |
'But we winna gang like men o weir,
Nor yet will we like cavalliers;
But we will gang like corn-buyers,
And we'll put brechens on our mares.' |
| 7 |
Then they are to the jail-house doors,
And they hae tirled at the pin:
'Ye sleep ye, wake ye, Bell Archie?
Quickly rise, lat us come in.' |
| 8 |
'I sleep not aft, I lie not saft;
Wha's there that knocks and kens my name?'
'It is your brothers Dick and John;
Ye'll open the door, lat us come in.' |
| 9 |
'Awa, awa, my brethren dear,
And ye'll had far awa frae me;
If ye be found at jail-house door,
I fear like dogs they'll gar ye die.' |
| 10 |
'Ohon, alas! my brother dear,
Is this the hearkening ye gie to me?
If ye'll work therein as we thereout,
Well borrowd should your body be.' |
| 11 |
'How can I work therein, therein,
Or yet how can I work thereout,
When fifty tons o Spanish iron
Are my fair body round about?' |
| 12 |
He put his fingers to the lock,
I wat he handled them sickerlie,
And doors of deal, and bands of steel,
He gart them all in flinders flee. |
| 13 |
He's taen the prisoner in his arms,
And he has kissd him cheek and chin:
'Now since we've met, my brother dear,
There shall be dunts ere we twa twine.' |
| 14 |
He's taen the prisoner on his back,
And a' his heavy irons tee,
But and his marie in his hand,
And straight to Annan gate went he. |
| 15 |
But when they came to Annan water,
It was roaring like the sea:
'O stay a little, Johnny Ha,
Here we can neither fecht nor flee. |
| 16 |
'O a refreshment we maun hae,
We are baith dry and hungry tee;
We'll gang to Robert's at the mill,
It stands upon yon lily lee.' |
| 17 |
Up in the morning the jailor raise,
As soon's 'twas light that he coud see;
Wi a pint o wine and a mess sae fine,
Into the prison-house went he. |
| 18 |
When he came to the prison-door,
A dreary sight he had to see;
The locks were shot, the doors were broke,
And a' the prisoners won free. |
| 19 |
'Ye'll gae and waken Annan town,
Raise up five hundred men and three;
And if these rascals may be found,
I vow like dogs I'll gar them die. |
| 20 |
'O dinna ye hear proud Annan roar,
Mair loud than ever roard the sea?
We'll get the rascals on this side,
Sure they can neither fecht nor flee. |
| 21 |
'Some gar ride, and some gar rin,
Wi a' the haste that ye can make;
We'll get them in some tavern-house,
For Annan water they winna take.' |
| 22 |
As Little Dick was looking round,
All for to see what he could see,
Saw the proud sheriff trip the plain,
Five hundred men his companie. |
| 23 |
'O fare ye well, my bonny wife,
Likewise farewell, my children three!
Fare ye well, ye lands o Cafield!
For you again I neer will see. |
| 24 |
'For well I kent, ere I came here,
That Annan water woud ruin me;
My horse is young, he'll nae lat ride,
And in this water I maun die.' |
| 25 |
Out it speaks him Johnny Ha,
I wat a gude fellow was he:
'O plague upo your cowardly face!
The bluntest man I eer did see. |
| 26 |
'Gie me your horse, take ye my mare,
The devil drown my mare and thee!
Gie me the prisoner on behind,
And nane will die but he that's fay.' |
| 27 |
He quickly lap upo the horse,
And strait the stirrups siccarlie,
And jumpd upo the other side,
Wi the prisoner and his irons tee. |
| 28 |
The sheriff then came to the bank,
And heard its roaring like the sea;
Says, How these men they hae got ower,
It is a marvel unto me. |
| 29 |
'I wadna venture after them,
For a' the criminals that I see;
Nevertheless now, Johnny Ha,
Throw ower the fetters unto me.' |
| 30 |
'Deil part you and the fetters,' he said,
'As lang as my mare needs a shee;
If she gang barefoot ere they be done,
I wish an ill death mat ye die.' |
| 31 |
'Awa, awa, now Johnny Ha,
Your talk to me seems very snell;
Your mither's been some wild rank witch,
And you yoursell an imp o hell.' |
