'The Holy Nunnery,' Buchan's Ballads of the North of
Scotland, I, 193.
| 1 |
Fair Annie had a costly bower,
Well built wi lime and stane,
And Willie came to visit her,
Wit the light o the meen. |
| 2 |
When he came to Annie's bower-door,
He tirled at the pin:
'Ye sleep ye, wake ye, Fair Annie,
Ye'll open, lat me come in.' |
| 3 |
'O never a fit,' says Fair Annie,
'Till I your errand ken;'
'My father's vowed a vow, Annie,
I'll tell you when I'm in. |
| 4 |
'My father's vowed a rash vow,
I darena marry thee;
My mither's vowed anither vow,
My bride ye'se never be.' |
| 5 |
'If ye had tauld me that, Willie,
When we began to woo,
There was naithing in this warld wide
Shoud drawn my love to you. |
| 6 |
'A nun, a nun,' said Fair Annie,
'A nun will I be then;'
'A priest, a priest,' said Sweet Willie,
'A priest will I be syne.' |
| 7 |
She is gane to her father,
For mither she had nane;
And she is on to her father,
To see if she'd be a nun. |
| 8 |
'An asking, asking, father dear,
An asking ye'll grant me;
That's to get to the holy nunnery,
And there to live or die.' |
| 9 |
'Your asking's nae sae great, daughter,
But granted it shall be;
For ye'se won to the holy nunnery,
There to live or die.' |
| 10 |
Then they gaed on, and farther on,
Till they came to the yate;
And there they spied a maiden porter,
Wi gowd upon her hat. |
| 11 |
'An asking, asking, maiden porter,
An asking ye'll grant me;
If I'll won to the holy nunnery,
There to live or die.' |
| 12 |
'Your asking's nae sae great, lady,
But granted it shall be;
For ye'se won to the holy nunnery,
There to live or die. |
| 13 |
'But ye maun vow a vow, lady,
Before that ye seek in;
Never to kiss a young man's mouth
That goes upon the grun. |
| 14 |
'And ye must vow anither vow,
Severely ye must work;
The well-warst vow that ye're to vow,
Is never to gang to kirk.' |
| 15 |
'I will vow a vow,' she said,
'Before that I seek in;
I neer shall kiss a young man's mouth
That goes upon the grun. |
| 16 |
'And I will vow anither vow,
Severly I will work;
The well-warst vow that I'm to vow
Is never to gang to kirk.' |
| 17 |
For seven years now Fair Annie,
In the holy nunnery lay she,
And seven years Sweet Willie lay,
In languish like to die. |
| 18 |
'Is there nae duke no lord's daughter,
My son, can comfort thee,
And save thee frae the gates o death?
Is there nae remedie?' |
| 19 |
'There is nae duke nor lord's daughter,
Mother, can cofort me,
Except it be my love, Annie,
In the holy nunnery lies she.' |
| 20 |
They've dressd Sweet Willie up in silk,
Wi gowd his gown did shine,
And nane coud ken by his pale face
But he was a lady fine. |
| 21 |
So they gaed on, and farther on,
Till they came to the yate,
And there they spied a maiden porter,
Wi gowd upon her hat. |
| 22 |
'An asking, an asking, maiden porter,
An asking ye'll grant me;
For to win in to the holy nunnery,
Fair Annie for to see.' |
| 23 |
'Your asking's nae sae great, lady,
But granted it shall be;
Ye'se won into the holy nunnery,
Fair Annie for to see. |
| 24 |
'Be she duke's or lord's daughter,
It's lang sin she came here:'
Fair Annie kent her true love's face;
Says, Come up, my sister dear. |
| 25 |
Sweet Willie went to kiss her lips,
As he had wont to do;
But she softly whispered him,
I darena this avow. |
