The Textis that given (nearlyliteratim) by Buchan and Motherwell, and also in theMSS.of the latter.
The Story .—This adventure of Owyne (Owain, ‘the King’s son Urien,’ Ywaine, etc.), with the subsequent transformation, has a parallel in an Icelandic saga. Rehabilitation in human shape by means of a kiss is a common tale in the Scandinavian area; occasionally three kisses are necessary.
A similar ballad, now lost, but re-written by the contributor, from scraps of recitation by an old woman in Berwickshire, localises the story of the fire-drake (‘the laidly worm’) near Bamborough in Northumberland; and Kinloch said that the term ‘Childe o’ Wane’ was still applied by disconsolate damsels of Bamborough to any youth who champions them. However, Mr. R. W. Clark of Bamborough, who has kindly made inquiries for me, could find no survival of this use.
The ballad is also called ‘Kempion.’
1.Hermother died when she was young,Which gave her cause to make great moan;Her father married the warst womanThat ever lived in Christendom.2.She served her with foot and hand,In every thing that she could dee,Till once, in an unlucky time,She threw her in ower Craigy’s sea.3.3.3‘Kemp’ = champion, knight. Cp. ‘Childe’ inChilde Maurice, etc.3.4‘borrow,’ ransom.Says, ‘Lie you there, dove Isabel,And all my sorrows lie with thee;Till Kemp Owyne come ower the sea,And borrow you with kisses three,Let all the warld do what they will,Oh borrowed shall you never be!’4.Her breath grew strang, her hair grew lang,And twisted thrice about the tree,And all the people, far and near,Thought that a savage beast was she.5.These news did come to Kemp Owyne,Where he lived, far beyond the sea;He hasted him to Craigy’s sea,And on the savage beast look’d he.6.Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,And twisted was about the tree,And with a swing she came about:‘Come to Craigy’s sea, and kiss with me.7.‘Here is a royal belt,’ she cried,‘That I have found in the green sea;And while your body it is on,Drawn shall your blood never be;But if you touch me, tail or fin,I vow my belt your death shall be.’8.He stepped in, gave her a kiss,The royal belt he brought him wi’;Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,And twisted twice about the tree,And with a swing she came about:‘Come to Craigy’s sea, and kiss with me.9.‘Here is a royal ring,’ she said,‘That I have found in the green sea;And while your finger it is on,Drawn shall your blood never be;But if you touch me, tail or fin,I swear my ring your death shall be.’10.He stepped in, gave her a kiss,The royal ring he brought him wi’;Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,And twisted ance about the tree,And with a swing she came about:‘Come to Craigy’s sea, and kiss with me.11.‘Here is a royal brand,’ she said,‘That I have found in the green sea;And while your body it is on,Drawn shall your blood never be;But if you touch me, tail or fin,I swear my brand your death shall be.’12.He stepped in, gave her a kiss,The royal brand he brought him wi’;Her breath was sweet, her hair grew short,And twisted nane about the tree,And smilingly she came about,As fair a woman as fair could be.
1.
Hermother died when she was young,
Which gave her cause to make great moan;
Her father married the warst woman
That ever lived in Christendom.
2.
She served her with foot and hand,
In every thing that she could dee,
Till once, in an unlucky time,
She threw her in ower Craigy’s sea.
3.
3.3‘Kemp’ = champion, knight. Cp. ‘Childe’ inChilde Maurice, etc.
3.4‘borrow,’ ransom.
Says, ‘Lie you there, dove Isabel,
And all my sorrows lie with thee;
Till Kemp Owyne come ower the sea,
And borrow you with kisses three,
Let all the warld do what they will,
Oh borrowed shall you never be!’
4.
Her breath grew strang, her hair grew lang,
And twisted thrice about the tree,
And all the people, far and near,
Thought that a savage beast was she.
5.
These news did come to Kemp Owyne,
Where he lived, far beyond the sea;
He hasted him to Craigy’s sea,
And on the savage beast look’d he.
6.
Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,
And twisted was about the tree,
And with a swing she came about:
‘Come to Craigy’s sea, and kiss with me.
7.
‘Here is a royal belt,’ she cried,
‘That I have found in the green sea;
And while your body it is on,
Drawn shall your blood never be;
But if you touch me, tail or fin,
I vow my belt your death shall be.’
8.
He stepped in, gave her a kiss,
The royal belt he brought him wi’;
Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,
And twisted twice about the tree,
And with a swing she came about:
‘Come to Craigy’s sea, and kiss with me.
9.
‘Here is a royal ring,’ she said,
‘That I have found in the green sea;
And while your finger it is on,
Drawn shall your blood never be;
But if you touch me, tail or fin,
I swear my ring your death shall be.’
10.
He stepped in, gave her a kiss,
The royal ring he brought him wi’;
Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,
And twisted ance about the tree,
And with a swing she came about:
‘Come to Craigy’s sea, and kiss with me.
11.
‘Here is a royal brand,’ she said,
‘That I have found in the green sea;
And while your body it is on,
Drawn shall your blood never be;
But if you touch me, tail or fin,
I swear my brand your death shall be.’
12.
He stepped in, gave her a kiss,
The royal brand he brought him wi’;
Her breath was sweet, her hair grew short,
And twisted nane about the tree,
And smilingly she came about,
As fair a woman as fair could be.
The Textis from the lost Fraser-Tytler-BrownMS., this ballad luckily having been transcribed before theMS.disappeared. Mrs. Brown recited another and a fuller version to Jamieson.
The Story.—Willie’s mother, a witch, displeased at her son’s choice, maliciously arrests by witchcraft the birth of Willie’s son. Willie’s travailing wife sends him again and again to bribe the witch, who refuses cup, steed, and girdle. Here our version makes such abrupt transitions, that it will be well to explain what takes place. The Belly Blind or Billie Blin (seeYoung Bekie, First Series, pp. 6, 7) advises Willie to make a sham baby of wax, and invite his witch-mother to the christening. Willie does so (in stanzas lost between our 33 and 34); the witch, believing the wax-baby to be flesh and blood, betrays all her craft by asking who has loosed the knots, ta’en out the kaims, ta’en down the woodbine, etc., these being the magic rites by which she has suspended birth. Willie instantly looses the knots and takes out the kaims, and his wife presents him with a bonny young son.
The story is common in Danish ballads, and occasional in Swedish. In the classics, Juno (Hera) on two occasions delayed childbirth and cheated Ilithyia, the sufferers being Latona and Alcmene. But the latest version of the story is said to have occurred in Arran in the nineteenth century. A young man, forsaking his sweetheart, married another maiden, who when her time came suffered exceedingly.A packman who chanced to be passing heard the tale and suspected the cause. Going to the discarded sweetheart, he told her that her rival had given birth to a fine child; thereupon she sprang up, pulled a large nail out of the beam, and called to her mother, ‘Muckle good your craft has done!’ The labouring wife was delivered forthwith. (SeeThe Folklore Record, vol. ii. p. 117.)
1.Williehas taen him o’er the fame,He’s woo’d a wife and brought her hame.2.He’s woo’d her for her yellow hair,But his mother wrought her mickle care,3.And mickle dolour gard her dree,For lighter she can never be.4.But in her bower she sits wi’ pain,And Willie mourns o’er her in vain.5.And to his mother he has gone,That vile rank witch of vilest kind.6.He says: ‘My ladie has a cupWi’ gowd and silver set about.7.‘This goodlie gift shall be your ain,And let her be lighter o’ her young bairn.’8.‘Of her young bairn she’ll ne’er be lighter,Nor in her bower to shine the brighter.9.‘But she shall die and turn to clay,And you shall wed another may.’10.‘Another may I’ll never wed,Another may I’ll ne’er bring home.’11.But sighing says that weary wight,‘I wish my life were at an end.’12.‘Ye doe [ye] unto your mother again,That vile rank witch of vilest kind.13.‘And say your ladie has a steed,The like o’ ’m’s no in the lands of Leed.14.‘For he’s golden shod before,And he’s golden shod behind.15.‘And at ilka tet of that horse’s mainThere’s a golden chess and a bell ringing.16.‘This goodlie gift shall be your ain,And let me be lighter of my young bairn.’17.‘O’ her young bairn she’ll ne’er be lighter,Nor in her bower to shine the brighter.18.‘But she shall die and turn to clay,And ye shall wed another may.’19.19 ‘I’ll’ is ‘I’ in both lines in theMS.‘Another may I’ll never wed,Another may I’ll neer bring hame.’20.But sighing said that weary wight,‘I wish my life were at an end.’21.‘Ye doe [ye] unto your mother again,That vile rank witch of vilest kind.22.‘And say your ladie has a girdle,It’s red gowd unto the middle.23.‘And ay at every silver hemHangs fifty silver bells and ten.24.24.1‘sall’ is Scott’s emendation forhasin theMS.‘That goodlie gift sall be her ain,And let me be lighter of my young bairn.’25.‘O’ her young bairn she’s ne’er be lighter,Nor in her bower to shine the brighter.26.‘But she shall die and turn to clay,And you shall wed another may.’27.‘Another may I’ll never wed,Another may I’ll ne’er bring hame.’28.But sighing says that weary wight,‘I wish my life were at an end.’29.Then out and spake the Belly Blind;He spake aye in good time.30.‘Ye doe ye to the market place,And there ye buy a loaf o’ wax.31.‘Ye shape it bairn and bairnly like,And in twa glassen een ye pit;32.‘And bid her come to your boy’s christening;Then notice weel what she shall do.33.‘And do you stand a little forebye,And listen weel what she shall say.’*****34.‘O wha has loosed the nine witch knotsThat was amo’ that ladie’s locks?35.‘And wha has taen out the kaims of careThat hangs amo’ that ladie’s hair?36.‘And wha’s taen down the bush o’ woodbineThat hang atween her bower and mine?37.‘And wha has kill’d the master kidThat ran beneath that ladie’s bed?38.‘And wha has loosed her left-foot shee,And lotten that lady lighter be?’39.O Willie has loosed the nine witch knotsThat was amo’ that ladie’s locks.40.And Willie’s taen out the kaims o’ careThat hang amo’ that ladie’s hair.41.And Willie’s taen down the bush o’ woodbineThat hang atween her bower and thine.42.And Willie has killed the master kidThat ran beneath that ladie’s bed.43.And Willie has loosed her left-foot shee,And letten his ladie lighter be.44.And now he’s gotten a bonny young son,And mickle grace be him upon.
1.
Williehas taen him o’er the fame,
He’s woo’d a wife and brought her hame.
2.
He’s woo’d her for her yellow hair,
But his mother wrought her mickle care,
3.
And mickle dolour gard her dree,
For lighter she can never be.
4.
But in her bower she sits wi’ pain,
And Willie mourns o’er her in vain.
5.
And to his mother he has gone,
That vile rank witch of vilest kind.
6.
He says: ‘My ladie has a cup
Wi’ gowd and silver set about.
7.
‘This goodlie gift shall be your ain,
And let her be lighter o’ her young bairn.’
8.
‘Of her young bairn she’ll ne’er be lighter,
Nor in her bower to shine the brighter.
9.
‘But she shall die and turn to clay,
And you shall wed another may.’
10.
‘Another may I’ll never wed,
Another may I’ll ne’er bring home.’
11.
But sighing says that weary wight,
‘I wish my life were at an end.’
12.
‘Ye doe [ye] unto your mother again,
That vile rank witch of vilest kind.
13.
‘And say your ladie has a steed,
The like o’ ’m’s no in the lands of Leed.
14.
‘For he’s golden shod before,
And he’s golden shod behind.
15.
‘And at ilka tet of that horse’s main
There’s a golden chess and a bell ringing.
16.
‘This goodlie gift shall be your ain,
And let me be lighter of my young bairn.’
17.
‘O’ her young bairn she’ll ne’er be lighter,
Nor in her bower to shine the brighter.
18.
‘But she shall die and turn to clay,
And ye shall wed another may.’
19.
19 ‘I’ll’ is ‘I’ in both lines in theMS.
‘Another may I’ll never wed,
Another may I’ll neer bring hame.’
20.
But sighing said that weary wight,
‘I wish my life were at an end.’
21.
‘Ye doe [ye] unto your mother again,
That vile rank witch of vilest kind.
22.
‘And say your ladie has a girdle,
It’s red gowd unto the middle.
23.
‘And ay at every silver hem
Hangs fifty silver bells and ten.
24.
24.1‘sall’ is Scott’s emendation forhasin theMS.
‘That goodlie gift sall be her ain,
And let me be lighter of my young bairn.’
25.
‘O’ her young bairn she’s ne’er be lighter,
Nor in her bower to shine the brighter.
26.
‘But she shall die and turn to clay,
And you shall wed another may.’
27.
‘Another may I’ll never wed,
Another may I’ll ne’er bring hame.’
28.
But sighing says that weary wight,
‘I wish my life were at an end.’
29.
Then out and spake the Belly Blind;
He spake aye in good time.
30.
‘Ye doe ye to the market place,
And there ye buy a loaf o’ wax.
31.
‘Ye shape it bairn and bairnly like,
And in twa glassen een ye pit;
32.
‘And bid her come to your boy’s christening;
Then notice weel what she shall do.
33.
‘And do you stand a little forebye,
And listen weel what she shall say.’
*****
34.
‘O wha has loosed the nine witch knots
That was amo’ that ladie’s locks?
35.
‘And wha has taen out the kaims of care
That hangs amo’ that ladie’s hair?
36.
‘And wha’s taen down the bush o’ woodbine
That hang atween her bower and mine?
37.
‘And wha has kill’d the master kid
That ran beneath that ladie’s bed?
38.
‘And wha has loosed her left-foot shee,
And lotten that lady lighter be?’
39.
O Willie has loosed the nine witch knots
That was amo’ that ladie’s locks.
40.
And Willie’s taen out the kaims o’ care
That hang amo’ that ladie’s hair.
41.
And Willie’s taen down the bush o’ woodbine
That hang atween her bower and thine.
42.
And Willie has killed the master kid
That ran beneath that ladie’s bed.
43.
And Willie has loosed her left-foot shee,
And letten his ladie lighter be.
44.
And now he’s gotten a bonny young son,
And mickle grace be him upon.
The Textis that of Herd’sMS.and hisScots Songs. Other versions vary very slightly, and this is the oldest of them.
There is a fourteenth-centuryMS.(in the Cotton collection) containing a poem not unlikeThe Wee Wee Man; but there is no justification in deriving the ballad from the poem, which may be found in Ritson’sAncient Songs(1829), i. p. 40.
Scott incorporates the story withThe Young Tamlane.
1.1.4‘ere,’i.e.e’er.AsI was wa’king all alone,Between a water and a wa’,And there I spy’d a wee wee man,And he was the least that ere I saw.2.2.1‘shathmont,’ a span.2.2‘thimber,’ gross.His legs were scarce a shathmont’s length,And thick and thimber was his thigh;Between his brows there was a span,And between his shoulders there was three.3.He took up a meikle stane,And he flang ’t as far as I could see;Though I had been a Wallace wight,I couldna liften’t to my knee.4.‘O wee wee man, but thou be strang!O tell me where thy dwelling be?’‘My dwelling’s down at yon bonny bower;O will you go with me and see?’5.On we lap, and awa’ we rade,Till we came to yon bonny green;We lighted down for to bait our horse,And out there came a lady fine.6.Four and twenty at her back,And they were a’ clad out in green;Though the King of Scotland had been there,The warst o’ them might hae been his queen.7.On we lap, and awa’ we rade,Till we came to yon bonny ha’,Whare the roof was o’ the beaten gould,And the floor was o’ the cristal a’.8.When we came to the stair-foot,Ladies were dancing, jimp and sma’,But in the twinkling of an eye,My wee wee man was clean awa’.
1.
1.4‘ere,’i.e.e’er.
AsI was wa’king all alone,
Between a water and a wa’,
And there I spy’d a wee wee man,
And he was the least that ere I saw.
2.
2.1‘shathmont,’ a span.
2.2‘thimber,’ gross.
His legs were scarce a shathmont’s length,
And thick and thimber was his thigh;
Between his brows there was a span,
And between his shoulders there was three.
3.
He took up a meikle stane,
And he flang ’t as far as I could see;
Though I had been a Wallace wight,
I couldna liften’t to my knee.
4.
‘O wee wee man, but thou be strang!
O tell me where thy dwelling be?’
‘My dwelling’s down at yon bonny bower;
O will you go with me and see?’
5.
On we lap, and awa’ we rade,
Till we came to yon bonny green;
We lighted down for to bait our horse,
And out there came a lady fine.
6.
Four and twenty at her back,
And they were a’ clad out in green;
Though the King of Scotland had been there,
The warst o’ them might hae been his queen.
7.
On we lap, and awa’ we rade,
Till we came to yon bonny ha’,
Whare the roof was o’ the beaten gould,
And the floor was o’ the cristal a’.
8.
When we came to the stair-foot,
Ladies were dancing, jimp and sma’,
But in the twinkling of an eye,
My wee wee man was clean awa’.
The Textis that of Scott’sMinstrelsy(1802). It was ‘taken down from the recitation of a lady’ (his mother’s sister, Miss Christian Rutherford), and collated with a copy in the Tytler-BrownMS.The ballad is also calledGil Brenton,Lord Dingwall,Bangwell,Bengwill, orBrangwill,Bothwell, etc.
The Storyis a great favourite, not only in Scandinavian ballads, but also in all northern literature. The magical agency of bed, blankets, sheets, and sword, is elsewhere extended to a chair, a stepping-stone by the bedside (see theBoy and the Mantle, First Series, p. 119), or the Billie Blin (seeYoung Bekie, First Series, pp. 6, 7, andWillie’s Lady, p. 19). The Norwegian tale of Aase and the Prince is known to English readers in Dasent’sAnnie the Goosegirl. The Prince is possessed of a stepping-stone by his bedside, which answers his question night and morning, and enables him to detect the supposititious bride. See also Jamieson’s translation ofIngefred and Gudrunè, inIllustrations of Northern Antiquities, p. 340.
1.Cospatrickhas sent o’er the faem,Cospatrick brought his ladye hame.2.And fourscore ships have come her wi’,The ladye by the grenewood tree.3.There were twal’ and twal’ wi’ baken bread,And twal’ and twal’ wi’ gowd sae reid:4.And twal’ and twal’ wi’ bouted flour,And twal’ and twal’ wi’ the paramour.5.Sweet Willy was a widow’s son,And at her stirrup he did run.6.And she was clad in the finest pall,But aye she let the tears down fall.7.‘O is your saddle set awrye?Or rides your steed for you owre high?8.‘Or are you mourning in your tideThat you suld be Cospatrick’s bride?’9.‘I am not mourning at this tideThat I suld be Cospatrick’s bride;10.‘But I am sorrowing in my moodThat I suld leave my mother good.11.‘But, gentle boy, come tell to me,What is the custom of thy countrye?’12.‘The custom thereof, my dame,’ he says,‘Will ill a gentle laydye please.13.‘Seven king’s daughters has our lord wedded,And seven king’s daughters has our lord bedded;14.‘But he’s cutted their breasts frae their breast-bane,And sent them mourning hame again.15.‘Yet, gin you’re sure that you’re a maid,Ye may gae safely to his bed;16.‘But gif o’ that ye be na sure,Then hire some damsell o’ your bour.’17.The ladye’s call’d her bour-maiden,That waiting was into her train.18.18.1A mark was two-thirds of a pound.‘Five thousand merks I will gie thee,To sleep this night with my lord for me.’19.When bells were rung, and mass was sayne,And a’ men unto bed were gane,20.Cospatrick and the bonny maid,Into ae chamber they were laid.21.‘Now speak to me, blankets, and speak to me, bed,And speak, thou sheet, inchanted web;22.‘And speak up, my bonny brown sword, that winna lie,Is this a true maiden that lies by me?’23.‘It is not a maid that you hae wedded,But it is a maid that you hae bedded;24.‘It is a liel maiden that lies by thee,But not the maiden that it should be.’25.O wrathfully he left the bed,And wrathfully his claiths on did;26.And he has taen him thro’ the ha’,And on his mother he did ca’.27.‘I am the most unhappy man,That ever was in Christen land!28.‘I courted a maiden, meik and mild,And I hae gotten naething but a woman wi’ child.’29.‘O stay, my son, into this ha’,And sport ye wi’ your merrymen a’;30.‘And I will to the secret bour,To see how it fares wi’ your paramour.’31.31.1‘stark and sture,’ sturdy and strong.The carline she was stark and sture,She aff the hinges dang the dure.32.‘O is your bairn to laird or loun?Or is it to your father’s groom?’33.‘O hear me, mother, on my knee,Till my sad story I tell to thee:34.‘O we were sisters, sisters seven,We were the fairest under heaven.35.‘It fell on a summer’s afternoon,When a’ our toilsome task was done,36.36.1‘kavils’ = kevels, lots.‘We cast the kavils us amang,To see which suld to the grene-wood gang.37.37.2‘wierd,’ fate.‘Ohon! alas, for I was youngest,And aye my wierd it was the hardest!38.‘The kavil it on me did fa’,Whilk was the cause of a’ my woe.39.‘For to the grene-wood I maun gae,To pu’ the red rose and the slae;40.‘To pu’ the red rose and the thyme,To deck my mother’s bour and mine.41.41.2‘hende’ (? = heynde, person).‘I hadna pu’d a flower but ane,When by there came a gallant hende,42.42.1‘high-coll’d ... laigh-coll’d,’ high-cut ... low-cut.‘Wi’ high-coll’d hose and laigh-coll’d shoon,And he seem’d to be some king’s son.43.‘And be I maid, or be I nae,He kept me there till the close o’ day.44.‘And be I maid, or be I nane,He kept me there till the day was done.45.‘He gae me a lock o’ his yellow hair,And bade me keep it ever mair.46.46.1‘carknet,’ necklace.‘He gae me a carknet o’ bonny beads,And bade me keep it against my needs.47.‘He gae to me a gay gold ring,And bade me keep it abune a’ thing.’48.‘What did ye wi’ the tokens rareThat ye gat frae that gallant there?’49.‘O bring that coffer unto me,And a’ the tokens ye sall see.’50.‘Now stay, daughter, your bour within,While I gae parley wi’ my son.’51.O she has taen her thro’ the ha’,And on her son began to ca’:52.‘What did you wi’ the bonny beads,I bade ye keep against your needs?53.‘What did you wi’ the gay gold ring,I bade you keep abune a’ thing?’54.‘I gae them to a ladye gay,I met in grene-wood on a day.55.‘But I wad gie a’ my halls and tours,I had that ladye within my bours;56.‘But I wad gie my very life,I had that ladye to my wife.’57.57.2‘burd,’ maiden.‘Now keep, my son, your ha’s and tours;Ye have that bright burd in your bours;58.‘And keep, my son, your very life;Ye have that ladye to your wife.’59.Now, or a month was come and gane,The ladye bore a bonny son;60.And ’twas weel written on his breast-bane,‘Cospatrick is my father’s name.’61.61.1‘rowe,’ roll, wrap.‘O rowe my ladye in satin and silk,And wash my son in the morning milk.’
1.
Cospatrickhas sent o’er the faem,
Cospatrick brought his ladye hame.
2.
And fourscore ships have come her wi’,
The ladye by the grenewood tree.
3.
There were twal’ and twal’ wi’ baken bread,
And twal’ and twal’ wi’ gowd sae reid:
4.
And twal’ and twal’ wi’ bouted flour,
And twal’ and twal’ wi’ the paramour.
5.
Sweet Willy was a widow’s son,
And at her stirrup he did run.
6.
And she was clad in the finest pall,
But aye she let the tears down fall.
7.
‘O is your saddle set awrye?
Or rides your steed for you owre high?
8.
‘Or are you mourning in your tide
That you suld be Cospatrick’s bride?’
9.
‘I am not mourning at this tide
That I suld be Cospatrick’s bride;
10.
‘But I am sorrowing in my mood
That I suld leave my mother good.
11.
‘But, gentle boy, come tell to me,
What is the custom of thy countrye?’
12.
‘The custom thereof, my dame,’ he says,
‘Will ill a gentle laydye please.
13.
‘Seven king’s daughters has our lord wedded,
And seven king’s daughters has our lord bedded;
14.
‘But he’s cutted their breasts frae their breast-bane,
And sent them mourning hame again.
15.
‘Yet, gin you’re sure that you’re a maid,
Ye may gae safely to his bed;
16.
‘But gif o’ that ye be na sure,
Then hire some damsell o’ your bour.’
17.
The ladye’s call’d her bour-maiden,
That waiting was into her train.
18.
18.1A mark was two-thirds of a pound.
‘Five thousand merks I will gie thee,
To sleep this night with my lord for me.’
19.
When bells were rung, and mass was sayne,
And a’ men unto bed were gane,
20.
Cospatrick and the bonny maid,
Into ae chamber they were laid.
21.
‘Now speak to me, blankets, and speak to me, bed,
And speak, thou sheet, inchanted web;
22.
‘And speak up, my bonny brown sword, that winna lie,
Is this a true maiden that lies by me?’
23.
‘It is not a maid that you hae wedded,
But it is a maid that you hae bedded;
24.
‘It is a liel maiden that lies by thee,
But not the maiden that it should be.’
25.
O wrathfully he left the bed,
And wrathfully his claiths on did;
26.
And he has taen him thro’ the ha’,
And on his mother he did ca’.
27.
‘I am the most unhappy man,
That ever was in Christen land!
28.
‘I courted a maiden, meik and mild,
And I hae gotten naething but a woman wi’ child.’
29.
‘O stay, my son, into this ha’,
And sport ye wi’ your merrymen a’;
30.
‘And I will to the secret bour,
To see how it fares wi’ your paramour.’
31.
31.1‘stark and sture,’ sturdy and strong.
The carline she was stark and sture,
She aff the hinges dang the dure.
32.
‘O is your bairn to laird or loun?
Or is it to your father’s groom?’
33.
‘O hear me, mother, on my knee,
Till my sad story I tell to thee:
34.
‘O we were sisters, sisters seven,
We were the fairest under heaven.
35.
‘It fell on a summer’s afternoon,
When a’ our toilsome task was done,
36.
36.1‘kavils’ = kevels, lots.
‘We cast the kavils us amang,
To see which suld to the grene-wood gang.
37.
37.2‘wierd,’ fate.
‘Ohon! alas, for I was youngest,
And aye my wierd it was the hardest!
38.
‘The kavil it on me did fa’,
Whilk was the cause of a’ my woe.
39.
‘For to the grene-wood I maun gae,
To pu’ the red rose and the slae;
40.
‘To pu’ the red rose and the thyme,
To deck my mother’s bour and mine.
41.
41.2‘hende’ (? = heynde, person).
‘I hadna pu’d a flower but ane,
When by there came a gallant hende,
42.
42.1‘high-coll’d ... laigh-coll’d,’ high-cut ... low-cut.
‘Wi’ high-coll’d hose and laigh-coll’d shoon,
And he seem’d to be some king’s son.
43.
‘And be I maid, or be I nae,
He kept me there till the close o’ day.
44.
‘And be I maid, or be I nane,
He kept me there till the day was done.
45.
‘He gae me a lock o’ his yellow hair,
And bade me keep it ever mair.
46.
46.1‘carknet,’ necklace.
‘He gae me a carknet o’ bonny beads,
And bade me keep it against my needs.
47.
‘He gae to me a gay gold ring,
And bade me keep it abune a’ thing.’
48.
‘What did ye wi’ the tokens rare
That ye gat frae that gallant there?’
49.
‘O bring that coffer unto me,
And a’ the tokens ye sall see.’
50.
‘Now stay, daughter, your bour within,
While I gae parley wi’ my son.’
51.
O she has taen her thro’ the ha’,
And on her son began to ca’:
52.
‘What did you wi’ the bonny beads,
I bade ye keep against your needs?
53.
‘What did you wi’ the gay gold ring,
I bade you keep abune a’ thing?’
54.
‘I gae them to a ladye gay,
I met in grene-wood on a day.
55.
‘But I wad gie a’ my halls and tours,
I had that ladye within my bours;
56.
‘But I wad gie my very life,
I had that ladye to my wife.’
57.
57.2‘burd,’ maiden.
‘Now keep, my son, your ha’s and tours;
Ye have that bright burd in your bours;
58.
‘And keep, my son, your very life;
Ye have that ladye to your wife.’
59.
Now, or a month was come and gane,
The ladye bore a bonny son;
60.
And ’twas weel written on his breast-bane,
‘Cospatrick is my father’s name.’
61.
61.1‘rowe,’ roll, wrap.
‘O rowe my ladye in satin and silk,
And wash my son in the morning milk.’
The Textis taken from Buchan’sBallads of the North of Scotland, and, like nearly all Buchan’s versions, exhibits traces of vulgar remoulding. This ballad in particular has lost much of the original features. Kinloch called his versionHynde Etin, Allingham his compilationEtin the Forester.
The Storyis given in a far finer style in romantic Scandinavian ballads. Prior translated two of them,The Maid and the Dwarf-King, andAgnes and the Merman, both Danish. The Norse ballads on this subject, which may still be heard sung, are exceptionally beautiful. Child says, ‘They should make an Englishman’s heart wring for his loss.’
In the present version we may with some confidence attribute to Buchan the stanzas from 48 to the end, as well as 15 and 16. The preference is given to Buchan’s text merely because it retains features lost in Kinloch’s version.
1.LadyMargaret sits in her bower door,Sewing at her silken seam;She heard a note in Elmond’s wood,And wish’d she there had been.2.She loot the seam fa’ frae her side,And the needle to her tae,And she is on to Elmond-woodAs fast as she coud gae.3.She hadna pu’d a nut, a nut,Nor broken a branch but ane,Till by it came a young hind chiel,Says, ‘Lady, lat alane.4.4.4‘spier,’ ask.‘O why pu’ ye the nut, the nut,Or why brake ye the tree?For I am forester o’ this wood:Ye shoud spier leave at me.’5.‘I’ll ask leave at no living man,Nor yet will I at thee;My father is king o’er a’ this realm,This wood belongs to me.’6.She hadna pu’d a nut, a nut,Nor broken a branch but three,Till by it came him Young Akin,And gard her lat them be.7.The highest tree in Elmond’s wood,He’s pu’d it by the reet,And he has built for her a bower,Near by a hallow seat.8.He’s built a bower, made it secureWi’ carbuncle and stane;Tho’ travellers were never sae nigh,Appearance it had nane.9.He’s kept her there in Elmond’s woodFor six lang years and one,Till six pretty sons to him she bear,And the seventh she’s brought home.10.It fell ance upon a day,This guid lord went from home,And he is to the hunting gane,Took wi’ him his eldest son.11.And when they were on a guid way,Wi’ slowly pace did walk,The boy’s heart being something wae,He thus began to talk.12.‘A question I woud ask, father,Gin ye woudna angry be;’‘Say on, say on, my bonny boy,Ye’se nae be quarrell’d by me.’13.‘I see my mither’s cheeks aye weet,I never can see them dry;And I wonder what aileth my mither,To mourn continually.’14.14.4‘stown,’ stolen.‘Your mither was a king’s daughter,Sprung frae a high degree,And she might hae wed some worthy princeHad she nae been stown by me.15.‘I was her father’s cupbearer,Just at that fatal time;I catch’d her on a misty night,When summer was in prime.16.‘My luve to her was most sincere,Her luve was great for me,But when she hardships doth endure,Her folly she does see.’17.‘I’ll shoot the buntin’ o’ the bush,The linnet o’ the tree,And bring them to my dear mither,See if she’ll merrier be.’18.It fell upo’ another day,This guid lord he thought lang,And he is to the hunting gane,Took wi’ him his dog and gun.19.Wi’ bow and arrow by his side,He’s aff, single, alane,And left his seven children to stayWi’ their mither at hame.20.‘O I will tell to you, mither,Gin ye wadna angry be:’‘Speak on, speak on, my little wee boy,Ye’se nae be quarrell’d by me.’21.21.4‘my lane,’ by myself. Cp. 26.4.‘As we came frae the hynd-hunting,We heard fine music ring:’‘My blessings on you, my bonny boy,I wish I’d been there my lane.’22.He’s ta’en his mither by the hand,His six brithers also,And they are on thro’ Elmond’s woodAs fast as they coud go.23.23.2‘stratlins,’ strayings.They wistna weel where they were gaen,Wi’ the stratlins o’ their feet;They wistna weel where they were gaen,Till at her father’s yate.24.‘I hae nae money in my pocket,But royal rings hae three;I’ll gie them you, my little young son,And ye’ll walk there for me.25.‘Ye’ll gie the first to the proud porter,And he will lat you in;Ye’ll gie the next to the butler-boy,And he will show you ben.26.‘Ye’ll gie the third to the minstrelThat plays before the King;He’ll play success to the bonny boyCame thro’ the wood him lane.’27.He ga’e the first to the proud porter,And he open’d an’ let him in;He ga’e the next to the butler-boy,And he has shown him ben;28.He ga’e the third to the minstrelThat play’d before the King;And he play’d success to the bonny boyCame thro’ the wood him lane.29.Now when he came before the King,Fell low down on his knee;The King he turned round about,And the saut tear blinded his e’e.30.‘Win up, win up, my bonny boy,Gang frae my companie;Ye look sae like my dear daughter,My heart will birst in three.’31.‘If I look like your dear daughter,A wonder it is none;If I look like your dear daughter,I am her eldest son.’32.‘Will ye tell me, ye little wee boy,Where may my Margaret be?’‘She’s just now standing at your yates,And my six brithers her wi’.’33.‘O where are all my porter-boysThat I pay meat and fee,To open my yates baith wide and braid?Let her come in to me.’34.When she came in before the King,Fell low down on her knee;‘Win up, win up, my daughter dear,This day ye’ll dine wi’ me.’35.‘Ae bit I canno eat, father,Nor ae drop can I drink,Till I see my mither and sister dear,For lang for them I think!’36.When she came before the queen,Fell low down on her knee;‘Win up, win up, my daughter dear,This day ye’se dine wi’ me.’37.‘Ae bit I canno eat, mither,Nor ae drop can I drink,Until I see my dear sister,For lang for her I think.’38.When that these two sisters met,She hail’d her courteouslie;‘Come ben, come ben, my sister dear,This day ye’se dine wi’ me.’39.‘Ae bit I canno eat, sister,Nor ae drop can I drink,Until I see my dear husband,For lang for him I think.’40.‘O where are all my rangers boldThat I pay meat and fee,To search the forest far an’ wide,And bring Akin to me?’41.Out it speaks the little wee boy:‘Na, na, this maunna be;Without ye grant a free pardon,I hope ye’ll nae him see!’42.‘O here I grant a free pardon,Well seal’d by my own han’;Ye may make search for Young Akin,As soon as ever you can.’43.They search’d the country wide and braid,The forests far and near,And found him into Elmond’s wood,Tearing his yellow hair.44.44.2‘boun,’ go.‘Win up, win up now, Young Akin,Win up and boun wi’ me;We’re messengers come from the court,The king wants you to see.’45.‘O lat him take frae me my head,Or hang me on a tree;For since I’ve lost my dear lady,Life’s no pleasure to me.’46.‘Your head will nae be touch’d, Akin,Nor hang’d upon a tree;Your lady’s in her father’s court,And all he wants is thee.’47.When he came in before the King,Fell low down on his knee:‘Win up, win up now, Young Akin,This day ye’se dine wi’ me.’48.But as they were at dinner set,The boy asked a boun:‘I wish we were in the good church,For to get christendoun.49.‘We hae lived in guid green woodThis seven years and ane;But a’ this time, since e’er I mind,Was never a church within.’50.‘Your asking’s nae sae great, my boy,But granted it shall be:This day to guid church ye shall gang,And your mither shall gang you wi’.’51.When she came unto the guid church,She at the door did stan’;She was sae sair sunk down wi’ shame,She couldna come farer ben.52.Then out it speaks the parish priest,And a sweet smile ga’e he:‘Come ben, come ben, my lily-flower,Present your babes to me.’53.Charles, Vincent, Sam and Dick,And likewise James and John;They call’d the eldest Young Akin,Which was his father’s name.54.Then they staid in the royal court,And liv’d wi’ mirth and glee,And when her father was deceas’d,Heir of the crown was she.
1.
LadyMargaret sits in her bower door,
Sewing at her silken seam;
She heard a note in Elmond’s wood,
And wish’d she there had been.
2.
She loot the seam fa’ frae her side,
And the needle to her tae,
And she is on to Elmond-wood
As fast as she coud gae.
3.
She hadna pu’d a nut, a nut,
Nor broken a branch but ane,
Till by it came a young hind chiel,
Says, ‘Lady, lat alane.
4.
4.4‘spier,’ ask.
‘O why pu’ ye the nut, the nut,
Or why brake ye the tree?
For I am forester o’ this wood:
Ye shoud spier leave at me.’
5.
‘I’ll ask leave at no living man,
Nor yet will I at thee;
My father is king o’er a’ this realm,
This wood belongs to me.’
6.
She hadna pu’d a nut, a nut,
Nor broken a branch but three,
Till by it came him Young Akin,
And gard her lat them be.
7.
The highest tree in Elmond’s wood,
He’s pu’d it by the reet,
And he has built for her a bower,
Near by a hallow seat.
8.
He’s built a bower, made it secure
Wi’ carbuncle and stane;
Tho’ travellers were never sae nigh,
Appearance it had nane.
9.
He’s kept her there in Elmond’s wood
For six lang years and one,
Till six pretty sons to him she bear,
And the seventh she’s brought home.
10.
It fell ance upon a day,
This guid lord went from home,
And he is to the hunting gane,
Took wi’ him his eldest son.
11.
And when they were on a guid way,
Wi’ slowly pace did walk,
The boy’s heart being something wae,
He thus began to talk.
12.
‘A question I woud ask, father,
Gin ye woudna angry be;’
‘Say on, say on, my bonny boy,
Ye’se nae be quarrell’d by me.’
13.
‘I see my mither’s cheeks aye weet,
I never can see them dry;
And I wonder what aileth my mither,
To mourn continually.’
14.
14.4‘stown,’ stolen.
‘Your mither was a king’s daughter,
Sprung frae a high degree,
And she might hae wed some worthy prince
Had she nae been stown by me.
15.
‘I was her father’s cupbearer,
Just at that fatal time;
I catch’d her on a misty night,
When summer was in prime.
16.
‘My luve to her was most sincere,
Her luve was great for me,
But when she hardships doth endure,
Her folly she does see.’
17.
‘I’ll shoot the buntin’ o’ the bush,
The linnet o’ the tree,
And bring them to my dear mither,
See if she’ll merrier be.’
18.
It fell upo’ another day,
This guid lord he thought lang,
And he is to the hunting gane,
Took wi’ him his dog and gun.
19.
Wi’ bow and arrow by his side,
He’s aff, single, alane,
And left his seven children to stay
Wi’ their mither at hame.
20.
‘O I will tell to you, mither,
Gin ye wadna angry be:’
‘Speak on, speak on, my little wee boy,
Ye’se nae be quarrell’d by me.’
21.
21.4‘my lane,’ by myself. Cp. 26.4.
‘As we came frae the hynd-hunting,
We heard fine music ring:’
‘My blessings on you, my bonny boy,
I wish I’d been there my lane.’
22.
He’s ta’en his mither by the hand,
His six brithers also,
And they are on thro’ Elmond’s wood
As fast as they coud go.
23.
23.2‘stratlins,’ strayings.
They wistna weel where they were gaen,
Wi’ the stratlins o’ their feet;
They wistna weel where they were gaen,
Till at her father’s yate.
24.
‘I hae nae money in my pocket,
But royal rings hae three;
I’ll gie them you, my little young son,
And ye’ll walk there for me.
25.
‘Ye’ll gie the first to the proud porter,
And he will lat you in;
Ye’ll gie the next to the butler-boy,
And he will show you ben.
26.
‘Ye’ll gie the third to the minstrel
That plays before the King;
He’ll play success to the bonny boy
Came thro’ the wood him lane.’
27.
He ga’e the first to the proud porter,
And he open’d an’ let him in;
He ga’e the next to the butler-boy,
And he has shown him ben;
28.
He ga’e the third to the minstrel
That play’d before the King;
And he play’d success to the bonny boy
Came thro’ the wood him lane.
29.
Now when he came before the King,
Fell low down on his knee;
The King he turned round about,
And the saut tear blinded his e’e.
30.
‘Win up, win up, my bonny boy,
Gang frae my companie;
Ye look sae like my dear daughter,
My heart will birst in three.’
31.
‘If I look like your dear daughter,
A wonder it is none;
If I look like your dear daughter,
I am her eldest son.’
32.
‘Will ye tell me, ye little wee boy,
Where may my Margaret be?’
‘She’s just now standing at your yates,
And my six brithers her wi’.’
33.
‘O where are all my porter-boys
That I pay meat and fee,
To open my yates baith wide and braid?
Let her come in to me.’
34.
When she came in before the King,
Fell low down on her knee;
‘Win up, win up, my daughter dear,
This day ye’ll dine wi’ me.’
35.
‘Ae bit I canno eat, father,
Nor ae drop can I drink,
Till I see my mither and sister dear,
For lang for them I think!’
36.
When she came before the queen,
Fell low down on her knee;
‘Win up, win up, my daughter dear,
This day ye’se dine wi’ me.’
37.
‘Ae bit I canno eat, mither,
Nor ae drop can I drink,
Until I see my dear sister,
For lang for her I think.’
38.
When that these two sisters met,
She hail’d her courteouslie;
‘Come ben, come ben, my sister dear,
This day ye’se dine wi’ me.’
39.
‘Ae bit I canno eat, sister,
Nor ae drop can I drink,
Until I see my dear husband,
For lang for him I think.’
40.
‘O where are all my rangers bold
That I pay meat and fee,
To search the forest far an’ wide,
And bring Akin to me?’
41.
Out it speaks the little wee boy:
‘Na, na, this maunna be;
Without ye grant a free pardon,
I hope ye’ll nae him see!’
42.
‘O here I grant a free pardon,
Well seal’d by my own han’;
Ye may make search for Young Akin,
As soon as ever you can.’
43.
They search’d the country wide and braid,
The forests far and near,
And found him into Elmond’s wood,
Tearing his yellow hair.
44.
44.2‘boun,’ go.
‘Win up, win up now, Young Akin,
Win up and boun wi’ me;
We’re messengers come from the court,
The king wants you to see.’
45.
‘O lat him take frae me my head,
Or hang me on a tree;
For since I’ve lost my dear lady,
Life’s no pleasure to me.’
46.
‘Your head will nae be touch’d, Akin,
Nor hang’d upon a tree;
Your lady’s in her father’s court,
And all he wants is thee.’
47.
When he came in before the King,
Fell low down on his knee:
‘Win up, win up now, Young Akin,
This day ye’se dine wi’ me.’
48.
But as they were at dinner set,
The boy asked a boun:
‘I wish we were in the good church,
For to get christendoun.
49.
‘We hae lived in guid green wood
This seven years and ane;
But a’ this time, since e’er I mind,
Was never a church within.’
50.
‘Your asking’s nae sae great, my boy,
But granted it shall be:
This day to guid church ye shall gang,
And your mither shall gang you wi’.’
51.
When she came unto the guid church,
She at the door did stan’;
She was sae sair sunk down wi’ shame,
She couldna come farer ben.
52.
Then out it speaks the parish priest,
And a sweet smile ga’e he:
‘Come ben, come ben, my lily-flower,
Present your babes to me.’
53.
Charles, Vincent, Sam and Dick,
And likewise James and John;
They call’d the eldest Young Akin,
Which was his father’s name.
54.
Then they staid in the royal court,
And liv’d wi’ mirth and glee,
And when her father was deceas’d,
Heir of the crown was she.
The Textis that communicated to theFolklore Record(vol. i. p. 60) by Miss Charlotte Latham, as it was written down from recitation by a girl in Sussex (1868).
The Storyis so simple, and so reminiscent of other ballads, that we must suppose this version to be but a fragment of some forgotten ballad. Its chief interest lies in the setting forth of a common popular belief, namely, that excessive grief for the dead ‘will not let them sleep.’ Cp. Tibullus, Lib. 1. Eleg. 1, lines 67, 68:—
‘Tu Manes ne laede meos: sed parce solutisCrinibus, et teneris, Delia, parce genis.’
‘Tu Manes ne laede meos: sed parce solutis
Crinibus, et teneris, Delia, parce genis.’
The same belief is recorded in Germany, Scandinavia, India, Persia, and ancient Greece, as well as in England and Scotland (see Sir Walter Scott,Red-gauntlet, letter xi., note 2).
There is a version of this ballad beginning—
‘Proud Boreas makes a hideous noise.’
It is almost needless to add that this is from Buchan’s manuscripts.
1.‘The wind doth blow today, my love,And a few small drops of rain;I never had but one true love,In cold grave she was lain.2.‘I’ll do as much for my true loveAs any young man may;I’ll sit and mourn all at her graveFor a twelvemonth and a day.’3.The twelvemonth and a day being up,The dead began to speak:‘Oh who sits weeping on my grave,And will not let me sleep?’4.‘’Tis I, my love, sits on your grave,And will not let you sleep;For I crave one kiss of your clay-cold lips,And that is all I seek.’5.5.3,4Cp.Clerk Sanders, 30.3,4.‘You crave one kiss of my clay-cold lips;But my breath smells earthy strong;If you have one kiss of my clay-cold lips,Your time will not be long.6.6.3‘ere’ = e’er.‘’Tis down in yonder garden green,Love, where we used to walk;The finest flower that ere was seenIs withered to a stalk.7.‘The stalk is withered dry, my love,So will our hearts decay;So make yourself content, my love,Till God calls you away.’
1.
‘The wind doth blow today, my love,
And a few small drops of rain;
I never had but one true love,
In cold grave she was lain.
2.
‘I’ll do as much for my true love
As any young man may;
I’ll sit and mourn all at her grave
For a twelvemonth and a day.’
3.
The twelvemonth and a day being up,
The dead began to speak:
‘Oh who sits weeping on my grave,
And will not let me sleep?’
4.
‘’Tis I, my love, sits on your grave,
And will not let you sleep;
For I crave one kiss of your clay-cold lips,
And that is all I seek.’
5.
5.3,4Cp.Clerk Sanders, 30.3,4.
‘You crave one kiss of my clay-cold lips;
But my breath smells earthy strong;
If you have one kiss of my clay-cold lips,
Your time will not be long.
6.
6.3‘ere’ = e’er.
‘’Tis down in yonder garden green,
Love, where we used to walk;
The finest flower that ere was seen
Is withered to a stalk.
7.
‘The stalk is withered dry, my love,
So will our hearts decay;
So make yourself content, my love,
Till God calls you away.’
The Text.—This ballad was one of two transcribed from the now lost Tytler-BrownMS., and the transcript is given here. A considerable portion of the story is lost between stanzas 6 and 7.
The Storyin its full form is found in a German poem of the twelfth or thirteenth century (Der Ritter von Stauffenberg) as well as in many Scandinavian ballads.
In the German tale, the fairy bound the knight to marry no one; on that condition she would come to him whenever he wished, if he were alone, and would bestow endless gifts upon him: if ever he did marry, he would die within three days. Eventually he was forced to marry, and died as he had been warned.
In seventy Scandinavian ballads, the story remains much the same. The hero’s name is Oluf or Ole, or some modification of this, of which ‘Colvill,’ or ‘Colven,’ as we have it here, is the English equivalent. Oluf, riding out, is accosted by elves or dwarfs, and one of them asks him to dance with her. If he will, a gift is offered; if he will not, a threat is made. Gifts and threats naturally vary in different versions. He attempts to escape, is struck or stabbed fatally, and rides home and dies. His bride is for some time kept in ignorance of his death by various shifts, but at last discovers the truth, and her heart breaks. Oluf’s mother dies also.
It will be seen from this account how much is lost in our ballad. But it is evident that Clerk Colven’s lady has heard of his previous acquaintance with themermaiden. This point survives only in four Färöe ballads out of the seventy Scandinavian versions.
The story is also found in French, Breton, Spanish, etc.
1.1.3‘gimp,’ slender.ClarkColven and his gay ladie,As they walked to yon garden green,A belt about her middle gimp,Which cost Clark Colven crowns fifteen:2.2.4‘well-fared may,’ well-favoured maiden.‘O hearken weel now, my good lord,O hearken weel to what I say;When ye gang to the wall o’ Stream,O gang nae neer the well-fared may.’3.‘O haud your tongue, my gay ladie,Tak nae sic care o’ me;For I nae saw a fair womanI like so well as thee.’4.He mounted on his berry-brown steed,And merry, merry rade he on,Till he came to the wall o’ Stream,And there he saw the mermaiden.5.‘Ye wash, ye wash, ye bonny may,And ay’s ye wash your sark o’ silk’:‘It’s a’ for you, ye gentle knight,My skin is whiter than the milk.’6.He’s ta’en her by the milk-white hand,He’s ta’en her by the sleeve sae green,And he’s forgotten his gay ladie,And away with the fair maiden.*****7.7.3‘leugh,’ laughed.‘Ohon, alas!’ says Clark Colven,‘And aye sae sair’s I mean my head!’And merrily leugh the mermaiden,‘O win on till you be dead.8.8.2‘gare,’ strip. See First Series, Introduction, p. 1.8.3‘Row,’ roll, bind.‘But out ye tak your little pen-knife,And frae my sark ye shear a gare;Row that about your lovely head,And the pain ye’ll never feel nae mair.’9.Out he has ta’en his little pen-knife,And frae her sark he’s shorn a gare,Rowed that about his lovely head,But the pain increased mair and mair.10.10.4‘war,’ worse.‘Ohon, alas!’ says Clark Colven,‘An’ aye sae sair’s I mean my head!’And merrily laugh’d the mermaiden,‘It will ay be war till ye be dead.’11.11.4‘fleed,’ flood.Then out he drew his trusty blade,And thought wi’ it to be her dead,But she’s become a fish again,And merrily sprang into the fleed.12.12.2‘dowy,’ sad.He’s mounted on his berry-brown steed,And dowy, dowy rade he home,And heavily, heavily lighted downWhen to his ladie’s bower-door he came.13.‘Oh, mither, mither, mak my bed,And, gentle ladie, lay me down;Oh, brither, brither, unbend my bow,‘Twill never be bent by me again.’14.His mither she has made his bed,His gentle ladie laid him down,His brither he has unbent his bow,‘Twas never bent by him again.
1.
1.3‘gimp,’ slender.
ClarkColven and his gay ladie,
As they walked to yon garden green,
A belt about her middle gimp,
Which cost Clark Colven crowns fifteen:
2.
2.4‘well-fared may,’ well-favoured maiden.
‘O hearken weel now, my good lord,
O hearken weel to what I say;
When ye gang to the wall o’ Stream,
O gang nae neer the well-fared may.’
3.
‘O haud your tongue, my gay ladie,
Tak nae sic care o’ me;
For I nae saw a fair woman
I like so well as thee.’
4.
He mounted on his berry-brown steed,
And merry, merry rade he on,
Till he came to the wall o’ Stream,
And there he saw the mermaiden.
5.
‘Ye wash, ye wash, ye bonny may,
And ay’s ye wash your sark o’ silk’:
‘It’s a’ for you, ye gentle knight,
My skin is whiter than the milk.’
6.
He’s ta’en her by the milk-white hand,
He’s ta’en her by the sleeve sae green,
And he’s forgotten his gay ladie,
And away with the fair maiden.
*****
7.
7.3‘leugh,’ laughed.
‘Ohon, alas!’ says Clark Colven,
‘And aye sae sair’s I mean my head!’
And merrily leugh the mermaiden,
‘O win on till you be dead.
8.
8.2‘gare,’ strip. See First Series, Introduction, p. 1.
8.3‘Row,’ roll, bind.
‘But out ye tak your little pen-knife,
And frae my sark ye shear a gare;
Row that about your lovely head,
And the pain ye’ll never feel nae mair.’
9.
Out he has ta’en his little pen-knife,
And frae her sark he’s shorn a gare,
Rowed that about his lovely head,
But the pain increased mair and mair.
10.
10.4‘war,’ worse.
‘Ohon, alas!’ says Clark Colven,
‘An’ aye sae sair’s I mean my head!’
And merrily laugh’d the mermaiden,
‘It will ay be war till ye be dead.’
11.
11.4‘fleed,’ flood.
Then out he drew his trusty blade,
And thought wi’ it to be her dead,
But she’s become a fish again,
And merrily sprang into the fleed.
12.
12.2‘dowy,’ sad.
He’s mounted on his berry-brown steed,
And dowy, dowy rade he home,
And heavily, heavily lighted down
When to his ladie’s bower-door he came.
13.
‘Oh, mither, mither, mak my bed,
And, gentle ladie, lay me down;
Oh, brither, brither, unbend my bow,
‘Twill never be bent by me again.’
14.
His mither she has made his bed,
His gentle ladie laid him down,
His brither he has unbent his bow,
‘Twas never bent by him again.