Skene Manuscript, p. 33; taken down in the north of Scotland,
1802-3.
| 1 |
A' the skippers of bonny Lothain,
As they sat at the wine,
There fell a reesin them amang,
An it was in unhappy time. |
| 2 |
Some o them reesd their hawks,
An some o them their hounds,
An some o them their ladies gay,
Trod neatly on the ground;
Young Allan he reesd his comely cog,
That lay upon the strand. |
| 3 |
'I hae as good a ship this day
As ever sailed our seas,
Except it be the Burges Black,
But an the Small Cordvine,
The Comely Cog of Dornisdale;
We's lay that three bye in time.' |
| 4 |
Out spak there a little boy,
Just at Young Allan's knee:
'Ye lie, ye lie, Young Allan,
Sae loud's I hear ye lie. |
| 5 |
For my master has a little boat
Will sail thrice as well as thine;
For she'll gang in at your foremast,
An gae out your fore-lee,
An nine times in a winter night
She'll tak the wind frae thee.' |
| 6 |
'O wht will ye wad, ye Young Allan?
Or what will ye wad wi me?'
'I'll wad my head against your land
Till I get more monnie.' |
| 7 |
They had na saild a league,
A league but barely three,
But through an thro the bonny ship
They saw the green wall sea. |
| 8 |
They had na saild a league,
A league but barely five,
But through an thro their bonny ship
They saw the green well wave. |
| 9 |
He gaed up to the topmast,
To see what he coud see,
And there he saw the Burgess Black,
But an the Small Cordvine,
The Comely Cog of Dornisdale;
The three was rent in nine. |
| 10 |
Young Allan grat and wrang his hands,
An he kent na what to dee:
'The win is loud, and the waves are proud,
An we'll a' sink in the sea. |
| 11 |
'But gin I coud get a bonny boy
Wad tak my helm in han,
That would steer my bonny ship,
An bring her safe to land, |
| 12 |
'He shoud get the twa part o my goud,
The third o my land,
An gin we win safe to shore
He shoud get my dochter Ann.' |
| 13 |
'O here am I, a bonny boy
That will tak your helm in han,
An will steer your bonny ship,
An bring her safe to lan. |
| 14 |
'Ye tak four-an-twenty feather-beds
An lay the bonny ship round,
An as much of the good canvas
As mak her hale an soun.' |
| 15 |
They took four-and-twenty feather-beds
An laid the bonny ship roun,
An as much o the good canvas
As made her hale an soun. |
| 16 |
'Spring up, spring up, my bonny ship,
An goud shall be your hire!'
Whan the bonny ship heard o that,
That goud shoud be her hire,
She sprang as fast frae the sat water
As sparks do frae the fire. |
| 17 |
'Spring up, spring up, my bonny ship,
And goud sall be your fee!'
Whan the bonny ship heard o that,
That goud shoud be her fee,
She sprang as fast frae the sat water
As the leaf does frae the tree. |
| 18 |
The sailors stan on the shore-side,
Wi their auld baucheld sheen:
'Thanks to God an our guid master
That ever we came safe to land!' |
| 19 |
'Whar is the bonny boy
That took my helm in han,
That steerd my bonny ship,
An brought her safe to lan? |
| 20 |
'He's get the twa part o my goud,
The third part o my lan,
An, since we're come safe to shore,
He's get my dochter Ann.' |
| 21 |
'O here am I, the bonny boy
That took your helm in han,
That steered your bonny ship,
An brought her safe to lan. |
| 22 |
'I winna hae the twa part o your goud,
Nor the third part o your lan,
But, since we hae win safe to shore,
I'll wed your dochter Ann.' |
| 23 |
Forty ships went to the sea,
Forty ships and five,
An there never came ane o a' back,
But Young Allan, alive. |
