Ed de Moel

Child Ballads - Additions and Corrections

252. The Kitchie-Boy

P. 401. A as it stands in "The Old Lady's Collection," No 20.

1   Ther was a lady fair an rear,
A lady of birth an fame,
She loyed her father's kittchen-boy,
The greater was her shame.
2   She coud never her love revell,
Nor to him take,
Bat in the forests weed an brade,
Far they wer wont to wake.
3   It fell ance apon a day
Her father went fra home,
An she sent for the kitche-boy
Into her room.
4   'Canna ye fancë me, Willie?
Cannie ye fancë me?
By a' the lords I ever seed,
Ther is nane I cane loie bat ye.'
5   'O latt ne this be kent, lady,
O lat ne this be knouen,
For in yer father got word of this,
I vou he wad gare me die.'
6   'Yer life sail na be tane, Willie,
Yer life sail na be tean;
I rader loss my ain heart-blead
Or thy body gat wrang.'
7   We her mery fair spiches
She made the boy bold,
Till he began to kiss an clap,
An on his love lay hold.
8   They hadne kissed an love-claped,
As lovers fan they meatt,
. . .
. . .
9   'The master-cook he will on me call,
An ansured he man be;
In it war kent I war in bour we the,
I fear they woud gar me diei.'
10   'The master-cook may on ye call,
But ansured he will never be,
For I haa thrie coffers fue of goud,
Yer eyen did never see.
11   'An I will buld a bony ship for my love,
An sett her to the seea,
An saill she east, or saill she west,
The ship sail be fair to see.'
12   She has buld a bonny ship,
An sett her to the sea;
The top-masts was of the read goud,
The saill of taffety.
13   She gaie him a gay gold ring,
. . .
To mind him on a gay lady
That ance bair love to him.
14   The day was fair, the ship was rair,
Fan that suan sett to sea;
Fan that day tuall-month came an gade,
Att London landed he.
15   A lady louked our castell-wa,
Beheld the day gaa doun,
An she beheld that bonny ship,
Came hailing to the toun.
16   'Come hear, come hear, my maires a',
Ye see na fat I see;
The bonnest ship is coming to land
Yer eyen did ever see.
17   'Ye busk ye, busk ye, my marre's a',
Ye busk ye unco fine,
Till I gaa doun to yon shore-side
To invite yon squar to dine.
18   'O ye come up, ye gay young squar,
An take we me a dine;
Ye sail eatt of the gued white lofe,
An drink the claret wine.'
19   'I thank ye for yer bread,
I thank ye for yer wine,
I thank ye for yer courtice,
Bat indeed I hanna time.'
20   'Canna ye fancë me?' she says,
'Cannie ye fancë me?
Bay a' the lords an lairds I see,
Ther is nane I fancë bat ye.'
21   'They are farr awa fra me,' he says,
'The'r farr ayont the sea,
That has my heart an hand,
An my love ay sail be.'
22   'Hear is a gued gould ring,
. . .
It will mind ye on a gay lady
That ance bare love to ye.'
23   'I haa a ring on my finger
I lee thrice as well as thine,
Tho yours war of the gued read goud,
An mine bat simpell tin.'
24   The day was fair, the ship was rair,
Fan that squar sett to sea;
Fan that day tuall-month came an gaid,
Att hame again landed he.
25   The lady's father louked over castell-wa,
Beheld the day gaa doun,
An he beheld that bonny ship
Come hailing to the toun.
26   'Come hear, my a dother,
Ye see na fat I see;
The bonnest ship is coming to land
My eyen did ever see.
27   'Ye busk ye, my dother,
Ye busk ye unco fine,
An I ill gai doun to yon shore-side
An invite yon squer to dine:
I wad gie a' my reants
To haa ye marred to him.'
28   'They ar farr awa fra me,' she says,
'The'r far ayont the sea,
That has my heart an hand,
An my love ay sail be.'
29   'O will ye come, ye gay hine squar,
An take we me a dine?
Ye sail eat of the gued fait bread
An drink the claret wine.'
30   'I thank ye for yer bread,
I thank ye for your wine,
I thank ye for your courtisy,
For indeed I haa na grait time.'
31   'O cannie ye fancë me?' [he says,
'Cannie ye fancë me?]
By a' the ladys I ever did see,
Ther is nain I lue bat ye.'
32   'They are farr awa fra me,' she says,
They are farr ayont the sea,
That has my heart an han,
An my love ay sail be.'
33   Hear it is, a gay goud ring,
. . .
It will mind ye on a gay hin chill
That ance bare love to ye.'
34   'O gatt ye that ring on the sea saling?
Or gat ye it on the sand?
Or gat ye it on the shore laying,
On a drouned man's hand?'
35   'I got na it on the sea saling,
I got na it on the sand,
Bat I gat it on the shore laying,
On a drouned man's hand.
36   'O bonny was his chike,
And lovely was his face!'
'Alass,' says she, 'it is my true-love Willie,
. . .
37   He turned him rond about,
An suitly could he smill;
She turned her round, says, My love Willie,
Hou could ye me biggeall?
38   'A prist, a prist,' the old man crayed,
'Latt this tua marred be:'
Bat lettel did the old man keen
It was his ain kittchen-boy.
   44. I came.
74. her love.
282. seas.
353. laiying.

To be Corrected in the Print.

408 a, notes, A, 2d line. Read 224, 334. Cf. 134.

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