'Auld Matrons,' Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 238;
Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 585, with the title 'Love Annie.'
| 1 |
My love she is a gentlewoman,
Has her living by the seam;
I kenna how she is provided
This night for me and my foot-groom. |
| 2 |
He is gane to Annie's bower-door,
And gently tirled at the pin:
'Ye sleep, ye wake, my love Annie,
Ye'll rise and lat your true-love in.' |
| 3 |
Wi her white fingers lang and sma
She gently lifted up the pin;
Wi her arms lang and bent
She kindly caught sweet Willie in. |
| 4 |
'O will ye go to cards or dice?
Or will ye go to play?
Or will ye go to a well made bed,
And sleep a while till day?' |
| 5 |
'I winna gang to cards nor dice,
Nor yet will I to play;
But I will gang to a well made bed,
And sleep a while till day. |
| 6 |
'My love Annie, my dear Annie,
I would be at your desire;
But wae mat fa the auld Matrons,
As she sits by the kitchen fire!' |
| 7 |
'Keep up your heart, Willie,' she said,
'Keep up your heart, dinna fear;
It's seven years, and some guid mair,
Sin her foot did file the flear.' |
| 8 |
They hadna kissd nor love clapped,
As lovers when they meet,
Till up it raise the auld Matrons,
Sae well's she spread her feet. |
| 9 |
O wae mat fa the auld Matrons,
Sae clever's she took the gate!
And she's gaen ower yon lang, lang hill,
Knockd at the sheriff's yate. |
| 10 |
'Ye sleep, ye wake, my lord?' she said;
'Are ye not your bower within?
There's knight in bed wi your daughter,
I fear she's gotten wrang.' |
| 11 |
'Ye'll do ye down thro Kelso town,
Waken my wall-wight men;
And gin ye hae your wark well dune
I'll be there at command.' |
| 12 |
She's done her down thro Kelso town,
Wakend his wall-wight men;
But gin she had her wark well done
He was there at command. |
| 13 |
He had his horse wi corn fodderd,
His men armd in mail;
He gae the Matrons half a merk
To show them ower the hill. |
| 14 |
Willie sleepd, but Annie waked
Till she heard their bridles ring;
Then tapped on her love's shoulder,
And said, Ye've sleepit lang. |
| 15 |
'O save me, save me, my blessd lady,
Till I've on my shooting-gear;
I dinna fear the king himsell,
Tho he an's men were here.' |
| 16 |
Then they shot in, and Willie out,
The arrows graz'd his brow;
The maid she wept and tore her hair,
Says, This can never do. |
| 17 |
Then they shot in, and he shot out,
The bow brunt Willie's hand;
But aye he kissd her ruby lips,
Said, My dear, thinkna lang. |
| 18 |
He set his horn to his mouth,
And has blawn loud and shrill,
And he's calld on his brother John,
In Ringlewood he lay still. |
| 19 |
The first an shot that Lord John shot,
He wound fifty and fifteen;
The next an shot that Lord John shot,
He ca'd out the sheriff's een. |
| 20 |
'O some o you lend me an arm,
Some o you lend me twa;
And they that came for strife this day,
Take horse, ride fast awa. |
| 21 |
'But wae mat fa yon, auld Matrons,
An ill death mat ye die!
I'll burn you on yon high hill-head,
Blaw your ashes in the sea.' |
