The Songs of England and Scotland [by P. Cunningham],
London, 1835, II, 346, taken down, as current in the
north of England, from the recitation of John Martin, the
painter.
| 1 |
The gypsies came to the Earl o Cassilis' gate,
And O but they sang bonnie!
They sang sae sweet and sae complete
That down cam our fair ladie. |
| 2 |
And she cam tripping down the stair,
Wi her twa maids before her;
As soon as they saw her weel-far'd face,
They coost their glamer oer her. |
| 3 |
'O come wi me,' says Johnnie Faw,
'O come wi me, my dearie,
For I vow and swear, by the hilt of my sword,
Your lord shall nae mair come near ye.' |
| 4 |
'Here, tak frae me this gay mantile,
And gie to me a plaidie;
Tho kith and kin and a' had sworn,
I'll follow the gypsie laddie. |
| 5 |
'Yestreen I lay in a weel-made bed,
And my gude lord beside me;
This night I'll lie in a tenant's barn,
Whatever shall betide me. |
| 6 |
'Last night I lay in a weel-made bed,
Wi silken hangings round me;
But now I'll lie in a farmer's barn,
Wi the gypsies all around me. |
| 7 |
'The first ale-house that we come at,
We'll hae a pot o brandie;
The next ale-house that we came at,
We'll drink to gypsie Geordie.' |
| 8 |
Now when our lord cam home at een,
He speir'd for his fair lady;
The ane she cried, [the] tither replied,
'She's awa wi the gypsie laddie.' |
| 9 |
'Gae saddle me the gude black steed;
The bay was neer sae bonnie;
For I will neither eat nor sleep
Till I be wi my lady.' |
| 10 |
Then he rode east, and he rode west,
And he rode near Strabogie,
And there he found his ain dear wife,
Drinking wi gypsie Geordie. |
| 11 |
'And what made you leave your houses and land?
Or what made you leave your money?
Or what made you leave your ain wedded lord,
To follow the gypsie laddie? |
| 12 |
'Then come thee hame, my ain dear wife,
Then come thee hame, my hinnie,
And I do swear, by the hilt of my sword,
The gypsies nae mair shall come near thee.' |
| 13 |
Then we were seven weel-made men,
But lack! we were nae bonnie,
And we were a' put down for ane,
For the Earl o Cassilis' ladie. |
