211. "In one printed copy this is 'Sheugh,' and in a recited copy it was called 'Skew'; which is the right reading, the editor, from his ignorance of the topography of the lands of Fyvie, is unable to say. It is a received superstition in Scotland, that, when friends or lovers part at a bridge, they shall never again meet."Motherwell.
211. "In one printed copy this is 'Sheugh,' and in a recited copy it was called 'Skew'; which is the right reading, the editor, from his ignorance of the topography of the lands of Fyvie, is unable to say. It is a received superstition in Scotland, that, when friends or lovers part at a bridge, they shall never again meet."Motherwell.
"The ballad was taken down by Dr. Leyden from the recitation of a young lady (Miss Robson) of Edinburgh, who learned it in Teviotdale. It was current in the Border counties within these few years, as it still is in the northeast of Scotland, where the scene is laid." Jamieson'sPopular Ballads, i. 129.
At Fyvie's yetts there grows a flower,It grows baith braid and bonny;There's a daisie in the midst o' it,And it's ca'd by Andrew Lammie."O gin that flower war in my breast,5For the love I bear the laddie;I wad kiss it, and I wad clap it,And daut it for Andrew Lammie."The first time me and my love met,Was in the woods of Fyvie;10He kissed my lips five thousand times,And ay he ca'd me bonny;And a' the answer he gat frae me,Was, My bonny Andrew Lammie!""'Love, I maun gang to Edinburgh;15Love, I maun gang and leave thee;'I sighed right sair, and said nae mair,But, O gin I were wi' ye!""But true and trusty will I be,As I am Andrew Lammie;20I'll never kiss a woman's mouth,Till I come back and see thee.""And true and trusty will I be,As I am Tiftie's Annie;I'll never kiss a man again,25Till ye come back and see me."Syne he's come back frae Edinburgh,To the bonny hows o' Fyvie;And ay his face to the nor-east,To look for Tiftie's Annie.30"I ha'e a love in Edinburgh,Sae ha'e I intill Leith, man;I hae a love intill Montrose,Sae ha'e I in Dalkeith, man."And east and west, where'er I go,35My love she's always wi' me;For east and west, where'er I go,My love she dwells in Fyvie."My love possesses a' my heart,Nae pen can e'er indite her;40She's ay sae stately as she goes,That I see nae mae like her."But Tiftie winna gi'e consentHis dochter me to marry,Because she has five thousand marks,45And I have not a penny."Love pines away, love dwines away,Love, love, decays the body;For love o' thee, oh I must die;Adieu, my bonny Annie!"50Her mither raise out o' her bed,And ca'd on baith her women:"What ails ye, Annie, my dochter dear?O Annie, was ye dreamin'?"What dule disturb'd my dochter's sleep?55O tell to me, my Annie!"She sighed right sair, and said nae mair,But, "O for Andrew Lammie!"Her father beat her cruellie,Sae also did her mother;60Her sisters sair did scoff at her;But wae betide her brother!Her brother beat her cruellie,Till his straiks they werena canny;He brak her back, and he beat her sides,65For the sake o' Andrew Lammie."O fie, O fie, my brother dear,The gentlemen 'll shame ye;The laird o' Fyvie he's gaun by,And he'll come in and see me.70And he'll kiss me, and he'll clap me,And he will speer what ails me;And I will answer him again,It's a' for Andrew Lammie."Her sisters they stood in the door,75Sair griev'd her wi' their folly;"O sister dear, come to the door,Your cow is lowin on you.""O fie, O fie, my sister dear,Grieve me not wi' your folly;80I'd rather hear the trumpet sound,Than a' the kye o' Fyvie."Love pines away, love dwines away,Love, love decays the body;For love o' thee now I maun die—85Adieu to Andrew Lammie!"But Tiftie's wrote a braid letter,And sent it into Fyvie,Saying, his daughter was bewitch'dBy bonny Andrew Lammie.90"Now, Tiftie, ye maun gi'e consent,And lat the lassie marry.""I'll never, never gi'e consentTo the Trumpeter of Fyvie."When Fyvie looked the letter on,95He was baith sad and sorry:Says—"The bonniest lass o' the country-sideHas died for Andrew Lammie."O Andrew's gane to the house-topO' the bonny house o' Fyvie;100He's blawn his horn baith loud and shillO'er the lawland leas o' Fyvie."Mony a time ha'e I walk'd a' night,And never yet was weary;But now I may walk wae my lane,105For I'll never see my deary."Love pines away, love dwines away,Love, love, decays the body:For the love o' thee, now I maun die—I come, my bonny Annie!"110
At Fyvie's yetts there grows a flower,It grows baith braid and bonny;There's a daisie in the midst o' it,And it's ca'd by Andrew Lammie.
"O gin that flower war in my breast,5For the love I bear the laddie;I wad kiss it, and I wad clap it,And daut it for Andrew Lammie.
"The first time me and my love met,Was in the woods of Fyvie;10He kissed my lips five thousand times,And ay he ca'd me bonny;And a' the answer he gat frae me,Was, My bonny Andrew Lammie!"
"'Love, I maun gang to Edinburgh;15Love, I maun gang and leave thee;'I sighed right sair, and said nae mair,But, O gin I were wi' ye!"
"But true and trusty will I be,As I am Andrew Lammie;20I'll never kiss a woman's mouth,Till I come back and see thee."
"And true and trusty will I be,As I am Tiftie's Annie;I'll never kiss a man again,25Till ye come back and see me."
Syne he's come back frae Edinburgh,To the bonny hows o' Fyvie;And ay his face to the nor-east,To look for Tiftie's Annie.30
"I ha'e a love in Edinburgh,Sae ha'e I intill Leith, man;I hae a love intill Montrose,Sae ha'e I in Dalkeith, man.
"And east and west, where'er I go,35My love she's always wi' me;For east and west, where'er I go,My love she dwells in Fyvie.
"My love possesses a' my heart,Nae pen can e'er indite her;40She's ay sae stately as she goes,That I see nae mae like her.
"But Tiftie winna gi'e consentHis dochter me to marry,Because she has five thousand marks,45And I have not a penny.
"Love pines away, love dwines away,Love, love, decays the body;For love o' thee, oh I must die;Adieu, my bonny Annie!"50
Her mither raise out o' her bed,And ca'd on baith her women:"What ails ye, Annie, my dochter dear?O Annie, was ye dreamin'?
"What dule disturb'd my dochter's sleep?55O tell to me, my Annie!"She sighed right sair, and said nae mair,But, "O for Andrew Lammie!"
Her father beat her cruellie,Sae also did her mother;60Her sisters sair did scoff at her;But wae betide her brother!
Her brother beat her cruellie,Till his straiks they werena canny;He brak her back, and he beat her sides,65For the sake o' Andrew Lammie.
"O fie, O fie, my brother dear,The gentlemen 'll shame ye;The laird o' Fyvie he's gaun by,And he'll come in and see me.70
And he'll kiss me, and he'll clap me,And he will speer what ails me;And I will answer him again,It's a' for Andrew Lammie."
Her sisters they stood in the door,75Sair griev'd her wi' their folly;"O sister dear, come to the door,Your cow is lowin on you."
"O fie, O fie, my sister dear,Grieve me not wi' your folly;80I'd rather hear the trumpet sound,Than a' the kye o' Fyvie.
"Love pines away, love dwines away,Love, love decays the body;For love o' thee now I maun die—85Adieu to Andrew Lammie!"
But Tiftie's wrote a braid letter,And sent it into Fyvie,Saying, his daughter was bewitch'dBy bonny Andrew Lammie.90
"Now, Tiftie, ye maun gi'e consent,And lat the lassie marry.""I'll never, never gi'e consentTo the Trumpeter of Fyvie."
When Fyvie looked the letter on,95He was baith sad and sorry:Says—"The bonniest lass o' the country-sideHas died for Andrew Lammie."
O Andrew's gane to the house-topO' the bonny house o' Fyvie;100He's blawn his horn baith loud and shillO'er the lawland leas o' Fyvie.
"Mony a time ha'e I walk'd a' night,And never yet was weary;But now I may walk wae my lane,105For I'll never see my deary.
"Love pines away, love dwines away,Love, love, decays the body:For the love o' thee, now I maun die—I come, my bonny Annie!"110
"The following very popular ballad has been handed down by tradition in its present imperfect state. The affecting incident on which it is founded is well known. A lady, of the name of Helen Irving, or Bell, (for this is disputed by the two clans,) daughter of the Laird of Kirconnell, in Dumfries-shire, and celebrated for her beauty, was beloved by two gentlemen in the neighbourhood. The name of the favoured suitor was Adam Fleming of Kirkpatrick; that of the other has escaped tradition: though it has been alleged that he was a Bell, of Blacket House. The addresses of the latter were, however, favoured by the friends of the lady, and the lovers were therefore obliged to meet in secret, and by night, in the churchyard of Kirconnell, a romantic spot, almost surrounded by the river Kirtle. During one of these private interviews, the jealous and despised lover suddenly appeared on the opposite bank of the stream, and levelled his carabine at the breast of his rival. Helen threw herself before her lover, received in her bosom the bullet, and died in his arms.A desperate and mortal combat ensued between Fleming and the murderer, in which the latter was cut to pieces. Other accounts say, that Fleming pursued his enemy to Spain, and slew him in the streets of Madrid.
"The ballad, as now published, consists of two parts. The first seems to be an address, either by Fleming or his rival, to the lady; if, indeed, it constituted any portion of the original poem. For the Editor cannot help suspecting, that these verses have been the production of a different and inferior bard, and only adapted to the original measure and tune. But this suspicion being unwarranted by any copy he has been able to procure, he does not venture to do more than intimate his own opinion. The second part, by far the most beautiful, and which is unquestionably original, forms the lament of Fleming over the grave of fair Helen.
"The ballad is here given, without alteration or improvement, from the most accurate copy which could be recovered. The fate of Helen has not, however, remained unsung by modern bards. A lament, of great poetical merit, by the learned historian, Mr. Pinkerton, with several other poems on this subject, have been printed in various forms.[B]
"The grave of the lovers is yet shown in the churchyard of Kirconnell, near Springkell. Upon the tombstone can still be read—Hic jacet Adamus Fleming;a cross and sword are sculptured on the stone. The former is called by the country people, the gun with which Helen was murdered; and the latter the avenging sword of her lover.Sit illis terra levis!A heap of stones is raised on the spot where the murder was committed; a token of abhorrence common to most nations."Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, iii. 98.
Versions of the Second Part, (which alone deserves notice,) nearly agreeing with Scott's, are given in the Illustrations to the new edition of Johnson'sMuseum, p. 143, by Mr. Stenhouse, p. 210, by Mr. Sharpe. Inferior and fragmentary ones in Herd'sScottish Songs, i. 257; Johnson'sMuseum, 163; Ritson'sScottish Song, i. 145; Jamieson'sPopular Ballads, i. 203.
[B]For Pinkerton's elegy, see hisSelect Scottish Ballads, i. 109; for Mayne's, theGentleman's Magazine, vol. 86, Part ii. 64. Jamieson has enfeebled the story inPopular Ballads, i. 205, and Wordsworth'sEllen Irwinhardly deserves more praise.Ed.
[B]For Pinkerton's elegy, see hisSelect Scottish Ballads, i. 109; for Mayne's, theGentleman's Magazine, vol. 86, Part ii. 64. Jamieson has enfeebled the story inPopular Ballads, i. 205, and Wordsworth'sEllen Irwinhardly deserves more praise.Ed.
O! sweetest sweet, and fairest fair,Of birth and worth beyond compare,Thou art the causer of my care,Since first I loved thee.Yet God hath given to me a mind,5The which to thee shall prove as kindAs any one that thou shalt find,Of high or low degree.The shallowest water makes maist din,The deadest pool the deepest linn;10The richest man least truth within,Though he preferred be.Yet, nevertheless, I am content,And never a whit my love repent,But think the time was a' weel spent,15Though I disdained be.O! Helen sweet, and maist complete,My captive spirit's at thy feet!Thinks thou still fit thus for to treatThy captive cruelly?20O! Helen brave! but this I crave,Of thy poor slave some pity have,And do him save that's near his grave,And dies for love of thee.
O! sweetest sweet, and fairest fair,Of birth and worth beyond compare,Thou art the causer of my care,Since first I loved thee.
Yet God hath given to me a mind,5The which to thee shall prove as kindAs any one that thou shalt find,Of high or low degree.
The shallowest water makes maist din,The deadest pool the deepest linn;10The richest man least truth within,Though he preferred be.
Yet, nevertheless, I am content,And never a whit my love repent,But think the time was a' weel spent,15Though I disdained be.
O! Helen sweet, and maist complete,My captive spirit's at thy feet!Thinks thou still fit thus for to treatThy captive cruelly?20
O! Helen brave! but this I crave,Of thy poor slave some pity have,And do him save that's near his grave,And dies for love of thee.
I wish I were where Helen lies,Night and day on me she cries;O that I were where Helen lies,On fair Kirconnell Lee!Curst be the heart that thought the thought,5And curst the hand that fired the shot,When in my arms burd Helen dropt,And died to succour me!O think na ye my heart was sair,When my love dropt down and spak nae mair!10There did she swoon wi' meikle care,On fair Kirconnell Lee.As I went down the water side,None but my foe to be my guide,None but my foe to be my guide,15On fair Kirconnell Lee;I lighted down my sword to draw,I hacked him in pieces sma',I hacked him in pieces sma',For her sake that died for me.20O Helen fair, beyond compare!I'll make a garland of thy hair,Shall bind my heart for evermair,Until the day I die.O that I were where Helen lies!25Night and day on me she cries;Out of my bed she bids me rise,Says, "Haste and come to me!"—O Helen fair! O Helen chaste!If I were with thee, I were blest,30Where thou lies low, and takes thy rest,On fair Kirconnell Lee.I wish my grave were growing green,A winding-sheet drawn ower my een,And I in Helen's arms lying,35On fair Kirconnell Lee.I wish I were where Helen lies!Night and day on me she cries;And I am weary of the skies,For her sake that died for me.40
I wish I were where Helen lies,Night and day on me she cries;O that I were where Helen lies,On fair Kirconnell Lee!
Curst be the heart that thought the thought,5And curst the hand that fired the shot,When in my arms burd Helen dropt,And died to succour me!
O think na ye my heart was sair,When my love dropt down and spak nae mair!10There did she swoon wi' meikle care,On fair Kirconnell Lee.
As I went down the water side,None but my foe to be my guide,None but my foe to be my guide,15On fair Kirconnell Lee;
I lighted down my sword to draw,I hacked him in pieces sma',I hacked him in pieces sma',For her sake that died for me.20
O Helen fair, beyond compare!I'll make a garland of thy hair,Shall bind my heart for evermair,Until the day I die.
O that I were where Helen lies!25Night and day on me she cries;Out of my bed she bids me rise,Says, "Haste and come to me!"—
O Helen fair! O Helen chaste!If I were with thee, I were blest,30Where thou lies low, and takes thy rest,On fair Kirconnell Lee.
I wish my grave were growing green,A winding-sheet drawn ower my een,And I in Helen's arms lying,35On fair Kirconnell Lee.
I wish I were where Helen lies!Night and day on me she cries;And I am weary of the skies,For her sake that died for me.40
Mr. Stenhouse was informed that this ballad was composed, about the beginning of the last century, by a young widow in Galloway, whose husband was drowned on a voyage to Holland. (Musical Museum, ed. 1853, iv. 115.) But some of the verses appear to be old, and one stanza will be remarked to be of common occurrence in ballad poetry.
A fragment of this piece was published in Herd's collection, (ii. 49.) Our copy is from Johnson'sMuseum, p. 118, with the omission, however, of one spurious and absurd stanza, while another, not printed by Johnson, is supplied from the note above cited to the new edition. Cunningham makes sense of the interpolated verses and retains them; otherwise his version is nearly the same as the present. (Songs of Scotland, ii. 181.)
"The love that I have chosen,I'll therewith be content,The saut sea shall be frozenBefore that I repent;Repent it shall I never,5Until the day I die,But the lowlands of HollandHae twinn'd my love and me."My love lies in the saut sea,And I am on the side,10Enough to break a young thing's heart,Wha lately was a bride;Wha lately was a bonnie bride,And pleasure in her e'e,But the lowlands of Holland15Hae twinn'd my love and me."My love he built a bonnie ship,And set her to the sea,Wi' seven score brave marinersTo bear her companie;20Threescore gaed to the bottom,And threescore died at sea,And the lowlands of HollandHae twinn'd my love and me."My love has built another ship25And set her to the main;He had but twenty mariners,And all to bring her hame;The stormy winds did roar again,The raging waves did rout,30And my love and his bonnie shipTurn'd widdershins about."There shall nae mantle cross my back,Nor kame gae in my hair,Neither shall coal nor candle light35Shine in my bower mair;Nor shall I chuse anither love,Until the day I die,Since the lowlands of HollandHae twinn'd my love and me."40"O haud your tongue, my daughter dear,Be still, and be content;There are mair lads in Galloway,Ye need nae sair lament.""O there is nane in Galloway,45There's nane at a' for me;For I never loved a lad but ane,And he's drowned in the sea."
"The love that I have chosen,I'll therewith be content,The saut sea shall be frozenBefore that I repent;Repent it shall I never,5Until the day I die,But the lowlands of HollandHae twinn'd my love and me.
"My love lies in the saut sea,And I am on the side,10Enough to break a young thing's heart,Wha lately was a bride;Wha lately was a bonnie bride,And pleasure in her e'e,But the lowlands of Holland15Hae twinn'd my love and me.
"My love he built a bonnie ship,And set her to the sea,Wi' seven score brave marinersTo bear her companie;20Threescore gaed to the bottom,And threescore died at sea,And the lowlands of HollandHae twinn'd my love and me.
"My love has built another ship25And set her to the main;He had but twenty mariners,And all to bring her hame;The stormy winds did roar again,The raging waves did rout,30And my love and his bonnie shipTurn'd widdershins about.
"There shall nae mantle cross my back,Nor kame gae in my hair,Neither shall coal nor candle light35Shine in my bower mair;Nor shall I chuse anither love,Until the day I die,Since the lowlands of HollandHae twinn'd my love and me."40
"O haud your tongue, my daughter dear,Be still, and be content;There are mair lads in Galloway,Ye need nae sair lament.""O there is nane in Galloway,45There's nane at a' for me;For I never loved a lad but ane,And he's drowned in the sea."
33-36,45-48. With the conclusion of this piece may be compared a passage fromBonny Bee-Ho'm, vol. iii. p. 57."Ohon, alas! what shall I do,Tormented night and day!I never loved a love but ane,And now he's gone away."But I will do for my true loveWhat ladies would think sair;For seven years shall come and gae,Ere a kaime gae in my hair."There shall neither a shoe gae on my foot,Nor a kaime gae in my hair,Nor ever a coal or candle lightShine in my bower nae mair."See alsoThe Weary Coble o' Cargill.
33-36,45-48. With the conclusion of this piece may be compared a passage fromBonny Bee-Ho'm, vol. iii. p. 57.
"Ohon, alas! what shall I do,Tormented night and day!I never loved a love but ane,And now he's gone away."But I will do for my true loveWhat ladies would think sair;For seven years shall come and gae,Ere a kaime gae in my hair."There shall neither a shoe gae on my foot,Nor a kaime gae in my hair,Nor ever a coal or candle lightShine in my bower nae mair."
"Ohon, alas! what shall I do,Tormented night and day!I never loved a love but ane,And now he's gone away.
"But I will do for my true loveWhat ladies would think sair;For seven years shall come and gae,Ere a kaime gae in my hair.
"There shall neither a shoe gae on my foot,Nor a kaime gae in my hair,Nor ever a coal or candle lightShine in my bower nae mair."
See alsoThe Weary Coble o' Cargill.
From Jamieson'sPopular Ballads, i. 59.
The ballad of theTwa Brothers, like many of the domestic tragedies with which it is grouped in this volume, is by no means the peculiar property of the island of Great Britain. It finds an exact counterpart in the Swedish balladSven i Rosengård,Svenska F. V., No. 67, Arwidsson, No. 87, A, B, which, together with a Finnish version of the same story, thought to be derived from the Swedish, will be found translated in our Appendix.Edward, in Percy'sReliques, has the same general theme, with the difference that a father is murdered instead of a brother. Motherwell[C]has printed a ballad (Son Davie) closely agreeing withEdward, exceptthat the crime is again fratricide. He has also furnished another version ofThe Twa Brothers, in which the catastrophe is the consequence of an accident, and this circumstance has led the excellent editor to tax Jamieson with altering one of the most essential features of the ballad, by filling out a defective stanza with four lines that make one brother to have slain the other in a quarrel. Jamieson is, however, justified in giving this more melancholy character to the story, by the tenor of all the kindred pieces, and by the language of his own. It will be observed that both inEdwardandSon Davie, the wicked act was not only deliberate, but was even instigated by the mother. The departure from the original is undoubtedly on the part of Motherwell's copy, which has softened down a shocking incident to accommodate a modern and refined sentiment. But Jamieson is artistically, as well as critically right, since the effect of the contrast of the remorse of one party and the generosity of the other is heightened by representing the terrible event as the result of ungoverned passion.
The three Scottish ballads mentioned above, here follow, and Motherwell'sTwa Brotherswill be found in the Appendix. Mr. Sharpe has inserted a third copy of this in hisBallad Book, p. 56. Another is said to be inThe Scot's Magazine, for June, 1822. Placing no confidence in any of Allan Cunningham'ssouvenirsof Scottish Song, we simply state that one of them, composed upon the theme of theTwa Brothers, is included in theSongs of Scotland, ii. 16.
"The common title of this ballad is,The Twa Brothers, or,The Wood o' Warslin, but the wordso' Warslinappearing to the editor, as will be seen in the text, to be a mistake fora-wrestling, he took the liberty of altering it accordingly. After all, perhaps, the title may be right; and the wood may afterwards have obtained its denomination from the tragical event here celebrated. A very few lines inserted by the editor to fill up chasms, [some of which have been omitted,] are inclosed in brackets; the text, in other respects, is given genuine, as it was taken down from the recitation of Mrs. Arrott."Jamieson.
[C]The stanza mentioned by Motherwell, as occurring in Werner'sTwenty Fourth of February, (Scene i.) is apparently only a quotation from memory of Herder's translation ofEdward. When Motherwell became aware that a similar tradition was common to the Northern nations of Europe, he could no longer have thought it possible that an occurrence in the family history of the Somervilles gave rise toThe Twa Brothers.
[C]The stanza mentioned by Motherwell, as occurring in Werner'sTwenty Fourth of February, (Scene i.) is apparently only a quotation from memory of Herder's translation ofEdward. When Motherwell became aware that a similar tradition was common to the Northern nations of Europe, he could no longer have thought it possible that an occurrence in the family history of the Somervilles gave rise toThe Twa Brothers.
"O will ye gae to the school, brother?Or will ye gae to the ba'?Or will ye gae to the wood a-warslin,To see whilk o's maun fa'?""It's I winna gae to the school, brother;5Nor will I gae to the ba'?But I will gae to the wood a-warslin;And it is you maun fa'."They warstled up, they warstled down,The lee-lang simmer's day;10[And nane was near to part the strife,That raise atween them tway,Till out and Willie's drawn his sword,And did his brother slay.]"O lift me up upon your back;15Tak me to yon wall fair;You'll wash my bluidy wounds o'er and o'er,And syne they'll bleed nae mair."And ye'll tak aff my Hollin sark,And riv't frae gair to gair;20Ye'll stap it in my bluidy wounds,And syne they'll bleed nae mair."He's liftit his brother upon his back;Ta'en him to yon wall fair;He's washed his bluidy wounds o'er and o'er,25But ay they bled mair and mair.And he's ta'en aff his Hollin sark,And riven't frae gair to gair;He's stappit it in his bluidy wounds;But ay they bled mair and mair.30"Ye'll lift me up upon your back,Tak me toKirklandfair;Ye'll mak my greaf baith braid and lang,And lay my body there."Ye'll lay my arrows at my head,35My bent bow at my feet;My sword and buckler at my side,As I was wont to sleep."Whan ye gae hame to your father,He'll speer for his son John:—40Say, ye left him into Kirkland fair,Learning the school alone."When ye gae hame to my sister,She'll speer for her brother John:—Ye'll say, ye left him in Kirkland fair,45The green grass growin aboon."Whan ye gae hame to my true love,She'll speer for her lord John:—Ye'll say, ye left him in Kirkland fair,But hame ye fear he'll never come."—50He's gane hame to his father;He speered for his son John:"It's I left him into Kirkland fair,Learning the school alone."And whan he gaed hame to his sister,55She speered for her brother John:—"It's I left him into Kirkland fair,The green grass growin aboon."And whan he gaed hame to his true love,She speer'd for her lord John:60"It's I left him into Kirkland fair,And hame I fear he'll never come.""But whaten bluid's that on your sword, Willie?Sweet Willie, tell to me.""O it is the bluid o' my grey hounds;65They wadna rin for me.""It's nae the bluid o' your hounds, Willie;Their bluid was never so red;But it is the bluid o' my true love,That ye hae slain indeed."70That fair may wept, that fair may mourn'd,That fair may mourn'd and pin'd;"When every lady looks for her love,I ne'er need look for mine.""O whaten a death will ye die, Willie?75Now, Willie, tell to me.""Ye'll put me in a bottomless boat,And I'll gae sail the sea.""Whan will ye come hame again, Willie?Now, Willie, tell to me."80"Whan the sun and moon dances on the green,And that will never be."
"O will ye gae to the school, brother?Or will ye gae to the ba'?Or will ye gae to the wood a-warslin,To see whilk o's maun fa'?"
"It's I winna gae to the school, brother;5Nor will I gae to the ba'?But I will gae to the wood a-warslin;And it is you maun fa'."
They warstled up, they warstled down,The lee-lang simmer's day;10[And nane was near to part the strife,That raise atween them tway,Till out and Willie's drawn his sword,And did his brother slay.]
"O lift me up upon your back;15Tak me to yon wall fair;You'll wash my bluidy wounds o'er and o'er,And syne they'll bleed nae mair.
"And ye'll tak aff my Hollin sark,And riv't frae gair to gair;20Ye'll stap it in my bluidy wounds,And syne they'll bleed nae mair."
He's liftit his brother upon his back;Ta'en him to yon wall fair;He's washed his bluidy wounds o'er and o'er,25But ay they bled mair and mair.
And he's ta'en aff his Hollin sark,And riven't frae gair to gair;He's stappit it in his bluidy wounds;But ay they bled mair and mair.30
"Ye'll lift me up upon your back,Tak me toKirklandfair;Ye'll mak my greaf baith braid and lang,And lay my body there.
"Ye'll lay my arrows at my head,35My bent bow at my feet;My sword and buckler at my side,As I was wont to sleep.
"Whan ye gae hame to your father,He'll speer for his son John:—40Say, ye left him into Kirkland fair,Learning the school alone.
"When ye gae hame to my sister,She'll speer for her brother John:—Ye'll say, ye left him in Kirkland fair,45The green grass growin aboon.
"Whan ye gae hame to my true love,She'll speer for her lord John:—Ye'll say, ye left him in Kirkland fair,But hame ye fear he'll never come."—50
He's gane hame to his father;He speered for his son John:"It's I left him into Kirkland fair,Learning the school alone."
And whan he gaed hame to his sister,55She speered for her brother John:—"It's I left him into Kirkland fair,The green grass growin aboon."
And whan he gaed hame to his true love,She speer'd for her lord John:60"It's I left him into Kirkland fair,And hame I fear he'll never come."
"But whaten bluid's that on your sword, Willie?Sweet Willie, tell to me.""O it is the bluid o' my grey hounds;65They wadna rin for me."
"It's nae the bluid o' your hounds, Willie;Their bluid was never so red;But it is the bluid o' my true love,That ye hae slain indeed."70
That fair may wept, that fair may mourn'd,That fair may mourn'd and pin'd;"When every lady looks for her love,I ne'er need look for mine."
"O whaten a death will ye die, Willie?75Now, Willie, tell to me.""Ye'll put me in a bottomless boat,And I'll gae sail the sea."
"Whan will ye come hame again, Willie?Now, Willie, tell to me."80"Whan the sun and moon dances on the green,And that will never be."
32. "The house of Inchmurry, formerly called Kirkland, was built of old by the abbot of Holyrood-house, for his accommodation when he came to that country, and was formerly the minister's manse."Stat. Ac. of Scotland, vol. xiii. p. 506. J.
32. "The house of Inchmurry, formerly called Kirkland, was built of old by the abbot of Holyrood-house, for his accommodation when he came to that country, and was formerly the minister's manse."Stat. Ac. of Scotland, vol. xiii. p. 506. J.
"This curious Song was transmitted to the Editor by Sir David Dalrymple, Bart., late Lord Hailes."
"This curious Song was transmitted to the Editor by Sir David Dalrymple, Bart., late Lord Hailes."
Percy,Reliques, i. 61.
"Quhy dois zour brand sae drop w' bluid,Edward, Edward?Quhy dois zour brand sae drop wi' bluid,And quhy sae sad gang zee O?""O I hae killed my hauke sae guid,5Mither, mither:O I hae killed my hauke sae guid,And I had nae mair bot hee O.""Zour haukis bluid was nevir sae reid,Edward, Edward:10Zour haukis bluid was nevir sae reid,My deir son I tell thee O.""O I hae killed my reid-roan steid,Mither, mither:O I hae killed my reid-roan steid,15That erst was sae fair and free O.""Zour steid was auld, and ze hae gat mair,Edward, Edward:Zour steid was auld, and ze hae gat mair,Sum other dule ze drie O."20"O I hae killed my fadir deir,Mither, mither:O I hae killed my fadir deir,Alas! and wae is mee O!""And quhatten penance wul ze drie, for that,25Edward, Edward?And quhatten penance will ze drie for that?My deir son, now tell me O.""Ile set my feit in zonder boat,Mither, mither:30Ile set my feit in zonder boat,And Ile fare ovir the sea O.""And quhat wul ze doe wi' zour towirs and zour ha',Edward, Edward?And quhat wul ze doe wi' zour towirs and zour ha',35That were sae fair to see O?""Ile let thame stand til they doun fa',Mither, mither:Ile let thame stand til they doun fa',For here nevir mair maun I bee O."40"And quhat wul ze leive to zour bairns and zour wife,Edward, Edward?And quhat wul ze leive to zour bairns and zour wife,Quhan ze gang ovir the sea O?""The warldis room, late them beg throw life,45Mither, mither:The warldis room, late them beg throw life,For thame nevir mair wul I see O.""And quhat wul ze leive to zour ain mither deir,Edward, Edward?50And quhat wul ze leive to zour ain mither deir?My deir son, now tell me O.""The curse of hell frae me sall ze beir,Mither, mither:The curse of hell frae me sall ze beir,55Sic counseils ze gave to me O."
"Quhy dois zour brand sae drop w' bluid,Edward, Edward?Quhy dois zour brand sae drop wi' bluid,And quhy sae sad gang zee O?""O I hae killed my hauke sae guid,5Mither, mither:O I hae killed my hauke sae guid,And I had nae mair bot hee O."
"Zour haukis bluid was nevir sae reid,Edward, Edward:10Zour haukis bluid was nevir sae reid,My deir son I tell thee O.""O I hae killed my reid-roan steid,Mither, mither:O I hae killed my reid-roan steid,15That erst was sae fair and free O."
"Zour steid was auld, and ze hae gat mair,Edward, Edward:Zour steid was auld, and ze hae gat mair,Sum other dule ze drie O."20"O I hae killed my fadir deir,Mither, mither:O I hae killed my fadir deir,Alas! and wae is mee O!"
"And quhatten penance wul ze drie, for that,25Edward, Edward?And quhatten penance will ze drie for that?My deir son, now tell me O.""Ile set my feit in zonder boat,Mither, mither:30Ile set my feit in zonder boat,And Ile fare ovir the sea O."
"And quhat wul ze doe wi' zour towirs and zour ha',Edward, Edward?And quhat wul ze doe wi' zour towirs and zour ha',35That were sae fair to see O?""Ile let thame stand til they doun fa',Mither, mither:Ile let thame stand til they doun fa',For here nevir mair maun I bee O."40
"And quhat wul ze leive to zour bairns and zour wife,Edward, Edward?And quhat wul ze leive to zour bairns and zour wife,Quhan ze gang ovir the sea O?""The warldis room, late them beg throw life,45Mither, mither:The warldis room, late them beg throw life,For thame nevir mair wul I see O."
"And quhat wul ze leive to zour ain mither deir,Edward, Edward?50And quhat wul ze leive to zour ain mither deir?My deir son, now tell me O.""The curse of hell frae me sall ze beir,Mither, mither:The curse of hell frae me sall ze beir,55Sic counseils ze gave to me O."
From the recitation of an old woman. Motherwell'sMinstrelsy, 339.
"What bluid's that on thy coat lap?Son Davie! son Davie!What bluid's that on thy coat lap?And the truth come tell to me O.""It is the bluid of my great hawk,5Mother lady! mother lady!It is the bluid of my great hawk,And the truth I hae tald to thee O.""Hawk's bluid was ne'er sae red,Son Davie! son Davie!10Hawk's bluid was ne'er sae red,And the truth come tell to me O.""It is the bluid o' my grey hound,Mother lady! mother lady!It is the bluid of my grey hound,15And it wudna rin for me O.""Hound's bluid was ne'er sae red,Son Davie! son Davie!Hound's bluid was ne'er sae red,And the truth come tell to me O."20"It is the bluid o' my brother John,Mother lady! mother lady!It is the bluid o' my brother John,And the truth I hae tald to thee O.""What about did the plea begin?25Son Davie! son Davie!""It began about the cutting o' a willow wand,That would never hae been a tree O.""What death dost thou desire to die?Son Davie! son Davie!30What death dost thou desire to die?And the truth come tell to me O.""I'll set my foot in a bottomless ship,Mother lady! mother lady!I'll set my foot in a bottomless ship,35And ye'll never see mair o' me O.""What wilt thou leave to thy poor wife?Son Davie! son Davie!""Grief and sorrow all her life,And she'll never get mair frae me O."40"What wilt thou leave to thy auld son?Son Davie! son Davie!""The weary warld to wander up and down,And he'll never get mair o' me O.""What wilt thou leave to thy mother dear?45Son Davie! son Davie!""A fire o' coals to burn her wi' hearty cheer,And she'll never get mair o' me O."
"What bluid's that on thy coat lap?Son Davie! son Davie!What bluid's that on thy coat lap?And the truth come tell to me O."
"It is the bluid of my great hawk,5Mother lady! mother lady!It is the bluid of my great hawk,And the truth I hae tald to thee O."
"Hawk's bluid was ne'er sae red,Son Davie! son Davie!10Hawk's bluid was ne'er sae red,And the truth come tell to me O."
"It is the bluid o' my grey hound,Mother lady! mother lady!It is the bluid of my grey hound,15And it wudna rin for me O."
"Hound's bluid was ne'er sae red,Son Davie! son Davie!Hound's bluid was ne'er sae red,And the truth come tell to me O."20
"It is the bluid o' my brother John,Mother lady! mother lady!It is the bluid o' my brother John,And the truth I hae tald to thee O."
"What about did the plea begin?25Son Davie! son Davie!""It began about the cutting o' a willow wand,That would never hae been a tree O."
"What death dost thou desire to die?Son Davie! son Davie!30What death dost thou desire to die?And the truth come tell to me O."
"I'll set my foot in a bottomless ship,Mother lady! mother lady!I'll set my foot in a bottomless ship,35And ye'll never see mair o' me O."
"What wilt thou leave to thy poor wife?Son Davie! son Davie!""Grief and sorrow all her life,And she'll never get mair frae me O."40
"What wilt thou leave to thy auld son?Son Davie! son Davie!""The weary warld to wander up and down,And he'll never get mair o' me O."
"What wilt thou leave to thy mother dear?45Son Davie! son Davie!""A fire o' coals to burn her wi' hearty cheer,And she'll never get mair o' me O."
The earliest printed copy of this ballad is the curious piece inWit Restor'd, (1658,) calledThe Miller and the King's Daughter, improperly said to be a parody, by Jamieson and others. (See Appendix.) Pinkerton inserted in hisTragic Ballads, (p. 72,) a ballad on the subject, which preserves many genuine lines, but is half his own composition. Complete versions were published by Scott and Jamieson, and more recently a third has been furnished in Sharpe'sBallad Book, p. 30, and a fourth in Buchan'sBallads of the North of Scotland(given at the end of this volume). The burden of Mr. Sharpe's copy is nearly the same as that of theCruel Mother,post, p. 372. Jamieson's copy had also this burden, but he exchanged it for the more popular, and certainly more tasteful,Binnorie. No ballad furnishes a closer link than this between the popular poetry of England and that of the other nations of Northern Europe. The same story is found in Icelandic, Norse, Faroish, and Estnish ballads, as well as in the Swedish and Danish, and a nearly related one in many other ballads or tales, German, Polish, Lithuanian, etc., etc.—SeeSvenska Folk-Visor, iii. 16, i. 81, 86, Arwidsson, ii. 139, and especiallyDen Talende Strengeleg, Grundtvig, No. 95, and the notes toDer Singende Knochen,K. u. H. Märchen, iii. 55, ed. 1856.
Of the edition in theBorder Minstrelsy, Scott gives the following account, (iii. 287.)
"It is compiled from a copy in Mrs. Brown's MSS., intermixed with a beautiful fragment, of fourteen verses, transmitted to the Editor by J. C. Walker, Esq. the ingenious historian of the Irish bards. Mr. Walker, at the same time, favored the Editor with the following note: 'I am indebted to my departed friend, Miss Brook, for the foregoing pathetic fragment. Her account of it was as follows: This song was trans-scribed, several years ago, from the memory of an old woman, who had no recollection of the concluding verses; probably the beginning may also be lost, as it seems to commence abruptly.' The first verse and burden of the fragment ran thus:—