Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 133.
| 1 |
'First I was lady o Black Riggs,
And then into Kincraigie;
Now I am the Lady o Gight,
And my love he's ca'd Geordie. |
| 2 |
'I was the mistress o Pitfan,
And madam o Kincraigie;
But now my name is Lady Anne,
And I am Gight's own lady. |
| 3 |
'We courted in the woods o Gight,
Where birks and flowrs spring bonny;
But pleasures I had never one,
But sorrows thick and mony. |
| 4 |
'He never ownd me as his wife,
Nor honourd me as his lady,
But day by day he saddles the grey,
And rides to Bignet's lady.' |
| 5 |
When Bignet he got word of that,
That Gight lay wi his lady,
He's casten him in prison strong,
To ly till lords were ready. |
| 6 |
'Where will I get a little wee boy,
That is baith true and steady,
That will run on to bonny Gight,
And bring to me my lady?' |
| 7 |
'O here am I, a little wee boy,
That is baith true and steady,
That will run to the yates of Gight,
And bring to you your lady.' |
| 8 |
'Ye'll bid her saddle the grey, the grey,
The brown rode neer so smartly;
Ye'll bid her come to Edinbro town,
A' for the life of Geordie.' |
| 9 |
The night was fair, the moon was clear,
And he rode by Bevany,
And stopped at the yates o Gight,
Where leaves were thick and mony. |
| 10 |
The lady lookd oer castle-wa,
And dear, but she was sorry!
'Here comes a page frae Edinbro town;
A' is nae well wi Geordie. |
| 11 |
'What news, what news, my little boy?
Come tell me soon and shortly;'
'Bad news, bad news, my lady,' he said,
'They're going to hang your Geordie.' |
| 12 |
'Ye'll saddle to me the grey, the grey,
The brown rade neer so smartly;
And I'll awa to Edinbro town,
Borrow the life o Geordie.' |
| 13 |
When she came near to Edinbro town,
I wyte she didna tarry,
But she has mounted her grey steed,
And ridden the Queen's Ferry. |
| 14 |
When she came to the boat of Leith,
I wat she didna tarry;
She gae the boatman a guinea o gowd
To boat her ower the ferry. |
| 15 |
When she came to the pier o Leith,
The poor they were sae many;
She dealt the gowd right liberallie,
And bade them pray for Geordie. |
| 16 |
When she gaed up the tolbooth-stair,
The nobles there were many:
And ilka ane stood hat on head,
But hat in hand stood Geordie. |
| 17 |
She gae a blink out-ower them a',
And three blinks to her Geordie;
But when she saw his een fast bound,
A swoon fell in this lady. |
| 18 |
'Whom has he robbd? What has he stole?
Or has he killed ony?
Or what's the crime that he has done,
His foes they are sae mony?' |
| 19 |
'He hasna brunt, he hasna slain,
He hasna robbed ony;
But he has done another crime,
For which he will pay dearly.' |
| 20 |
Then out it speaks Lord Montague,
O wae be to his body!
'The day we hangd young Charles Hay,
The morn we'll head your Geordie.' |
| 21 |
Then out it speaks the king himsell,
Vow, but he spake bonny!
'Come here, young Gight, confess your sins,
Let's hear if they be mony. |
| 22 |
'Come here, young Gight, confess your sins,
See ye be true and steady;
And if your sins they be but sma,
Then ye'se win wi your lady.' |
| 23 |
'Nane have I robbd, nought have I stown,
Nor have I killed ony;
But ane of the king's best brave steeds,
I sold him in Bevany.' |
| 24 |
Then out it speaks the king again,
Dear, but he spake bonny!
'That crime's nae great; for your lady's sake,
Put on your hat now, Geordie.' |
| 25 |
Then out it speaks Lord Montague,
O wae be to his body!
'There's guilt appears in Gight's ain face,
Ye'll cross-examine Geordie.' |
| 26 |
'Now since it all I must confess,
My crimes' baith great and mony:
A woman abused, five orphan babes,
I killd them for their money.' |
| 27 |
Out it speaks the king again,
And dear, but he was sorry!
'Your confession brings confusion,
Take aff your hat now, Geordie.' |
| 28 |
Then out it speaks the lady hersell,
Vow, but she was sorry!
'Now all my life I'll wear the black,
Mourn for the death o Geordie.' |
| 29 |
Lord Huntly then he did speak out,
O fair mot fa his body!
'I there will fight doublet alane
Or ony thing ails Geordie.' |
| 30 |
Then out it speaks the king again,
Vow, but he spake bonny!
'If ye'll tell down ten thousand crowns,
Ye'll buy the life o Geordie.' |
| 31 |
She spread her mantle on the ground,
Dear, but she spread it bonny!
Some gae her crowns, some ducadoons,
And some gae dollars mony:
Then she tauld down ten thousand crowns,
'Put on your hat, my Geordie.' |
| 32 |
Then out it speaks Lord Montague,
Wae be to his body!
'I wisht that Gight wanted the head;
I might enjoyd his lady.' |
| 33 |
Out it speaks the lady hersell,
'Ye need neer wish my body;
O ill befa your wizzend snout!
Woud ye compare wi Geordie?' |
| 34 |
When she was in her saddle set,
Riding the leys sae bonny,
The fiddle and fleet playd neer sae sweet
As she behind her Geordie. |
| 35 |
'O Geordie, Geordie, I love you well,
Nae jealousie coud move me;
The birds in air, that fly in pairs,
Can witness how I love you. |
| 36 |
'Ye'll call for one, the best o clerks,
Ye'll call him soon amd shortly,
As he may write what I indite,
A' this I've done for Geordie.' |
| 37 |
He turned him right and round about,
And high, high looked Geordie:
'A finger o Bignet's lady's hand
Is worth a' your fair body.' |
| 38 |
'My lands may a' be masterless,
My babes may want their mother;
But I've made a vow, will keep it true,
I'll be bound to no other.' |
| 39 |
These words they causd a great dispute,
And proud and fierce grew Geordie;
A sharp dagger he pulled out,
And pierced the heart o 's lady. |
| 40 |
The lady's dead, and Gight he's fled,
And left his lands behind him;
Altho they searched south and north,
There were nane there coud find him. |
| 41 |
Now a' that lived into Black Riggs,
And likewise in Kincraigie,
For seven years were clad in black,
To mourn for Gight's own lady. |
