Buchan'a Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 11.
| 1 |
All the skippers o Scarsburgh
Sat drinking at the wine;
There fell a rousing them amang,
On an unseally time. |
| 2 |
Some there rousd their hawk, their hawk,
And some there rousd their hound,
But Young Allan rousd his comely cog,
As she stood on dry ground. |
| 3 |
'There's nae a ship in Scarsburgh
Will sail the seas wi mine,
Except it be the Brugess Black,
Or than the smack calld Twine. |
| 4 |
'There's nae a ship amang you a'
Will sail alang wi me,
But the comely cog o Hecklandhawk,
And Flower o Yermanie,
And the Black Snake o Leve London;
They are a' gane frae me.' |
| 5 |
Out it speaks a little wee boy
Stood by Young Allan's knee;
'My master has a coal-carrier
Will take the wind frae thee. |
| 6 |
'She will gae out under the leaf,
Come in under the lee,
And nine times in a winter night
She'll turn the wind wi thee.' |
| 7 |
When they had wagerd them amang
Full fifty tuns o wine,
Besides as mickle gude black silk
As clathe their lemans fine, |
| 8 |
When all the rest went to the tows,
All the whole night to stay,
Young Allan he went to his bower,
There with his God to pray. |
| 9 |
'There shall nae man gang to my ship
Till I say mass amd dine,
And take my leave o my lady;
Gae to my bonny ship syne.' |
| 10 |
Then they saild east on Saturday,
On Sunday sail d west,
Likewise they sailed on Mononday
Till twelve, when they did rest. |
| 11 |
At midnight dark the wind up stark,
And seas began to rout,
Till Allan and his bonny new ship
Gaed three times witherlands about. |
| 12 |
'O,' sighing says the Young Allan,
'I fear a deadly storm;
For mony a heaving sinking sea
Strikes sair on my ship's stern. |
| 13 |
'Where will I get a little wee boy
Will take my helm in hand
Till I gang up to my tapmast
And see for some dry land?' |
| 14 |
'O waken, waken your drunken men,
As they lye drunk wi wine;
For when ye came thro Edinbro town
Ye bought them sheen o ben. |
| 15 |
'There was nae shoe made for my foot,
Nor gluve made for my hand;
But nevertheless, my dear master,
I'll take your helm in hand
Till ye gang to the tall tapmast
And look for some dry land. |
| 16 |
'And here am I, a little wee boy
Will take your helm in han
Till ye gang up to your tapmast,
But, master, stay not lang.' |
| 17 |
'I cannot see nae day, nae day,
Nor nae meathe can I ken;
But mony a bonny feather-bed
Lyes floating on the faem,
And the comely cog o Normanshore,
She never will gang hame.' |
| 18 |
The comely cog o Nicklingame
Came sailing by his hand;
Says, Gae down, gae down, ye gude skipper,
Your ship sails on the sand. |
| 19 |
'Come down, come down, my gude master,
Ye see not what I see;
For thro and thro our comely cog
I see the green haw sea.' |
| 20 |
'Take fifty ells o gude canvas
And wrap the ship a' round;
And pick her weell, and spare her not,
And make her hale and sound. |
| 21 |
'If ye will sail, my bonny ship,
Till we come to dry land,
For ilka iron nail in you,
Of gowd there shall be ten.' |
| 22 |
The ship she listend all the while,
And, hearing of her hire,
She flew as swift threw the saut sea
As sparks do frae the fire. |
| 23 |
The first an shore that they came till,
They ca'd it Howdoloot;
Wi drums beating and cannons shouting,
They held our gude ship out. |
| 24 |
The next an shore that they came till,
They ca'd it Howdilee;
Wi drums beating and fifes playing,
They bare her to the sea. |
| 25 |
The third an shore that they came till,
They ca'd it Howdilin;
Wi drums beating and pipes playing,
They towd our gude ship in. |
| 26 |
The sailors walkd upon the shore,
Wi their auld baucheld sheen,
And thanked God and their Lady,
That brought them safe again. |
| 27 |
'For we went out o Scarsburgh
Wi fifty ships and three;
But nane o them came back again
But Young Allan, ye see.' |
| 28 |
'Come down, come down, my little wee boy,
Till I pay you your fee;
I hae but only ae daughter,
And wedded to her ye'se be.' |
