256ALISON AND WILLIE
A.‘My luve she lives in Lincolnshire,’ Harris MS., fol. 18 b; Mrs Harris.b.‘Alison’ Buchan’s MSS., I, 231.
A.‘My luve she lives in Lincolnshire,’ Harris MS., fol. 18 b; Mrs Harris.b.‘Alison’ Buchan’s MSS., I, 231.
A.‘My luve she lives in Lincolnshire,’ Harris MS., fol. 18 b; Mrs Harris.b.‘Alison’ Buchan’s MSS., I, 231.
Alison gaily invites Willie to her wedding; he will not come unless to be the bridegroom, with her for bride. That day you will never see, says Alison; once on your horse, you will have no more mind of me than if I were dead. Willie rides slowly away, and his heart breaks with the pains of love; he dies by the way, and is left to the birds. A letter stops the wedding, and breaks Alison’s heart.
Stanza 7 must be left to those who can interpret Thomas of Erceldoune’s prophecies.
1‘My luve she lives in Lincolnshire,I wat she’s neither black nor broun,But her hair is like the thread o gowd,Aye an it waur weel kaimëd doun.’2She’s pued the black mask owre her face,An blinkit gaily wi her ee:‘O will you to my weddin come,An will you bear me gude companie?’3‘I winna to your weddin come,Nor [will] I bear you gude companie,Unless you be the bride yoursell,An me the bridegroom to be.’4‘For me to be the bride mysel,An you the bonnie bridegroom to be—Cheer up your heart, Sweet Willie,’ she said,‘For that’s the day you’ll never see.5‘Gin you waur on your saiddle set,An gaily ridin on the way,You’ll hae nae mair mind o AlisonThan she waur dead an laid in clay.’6When he was on his saiddle set,An slowly ridin on the way,He had mair mind o AlisonThan he had o the licht o day.7He saw a hart draw near a hare,An aye that hare drew near a toun,An that same hart did get a hare,But the gentle knicht got neer a toun.8He leant him owre his saiddle-bow,An his heart did brak in pieces three;Wi sighen said him Sweet Willie,‘The pains o luve hae taen hald o me.’9. . . . . . .. . . . . . .There cam a white horse an a letter,That stopped the weddin speidilie.10She leant her back on her bed-side,An her heart did brak in pieces three;She was buried an bemoaned,But the birds waur Willie’s companie.
1‘My luve she lives in Lincolnshire,I wat she’s neither black nor broun,But her hair is like the thread o gowd,Aye an it waur weel kaimëd doun.’2She’s pued the black mask owre her face,An blinkit gaily wi her ee:‘O will you to my weddin come,An will you bear me gude companie?’3‘I winna to your weddin come,Nor [will] I bear you gude companie,Unless you be the bride yoursell,An me the bridegroom to be.’4‘For me to be the bride mysel,An you the bonnie bridegroom to be—Cheer up your heart, Sweet Willie,’ she said,‘For that’s the day you’ll never see.5‘Gin you waur on your saiddle set,An gaily ridin on the way,You’ll hae nae mair mind o AlisonThan she waur dead an laid in clay.’6When he was on his saiddle set,An slowly ridin on the way,He had mair mind o AlisonThan he had o the licht o day.7He saw a hart draw near a hare,An aye that hare drew near a toun,An that same hart did get a hare,But the gentle knicht got neer a toun.8He leant him owre his saiddle-bow,An his heart did brak in pieces three;Wi sighen said him Sweet Willie,‘The pains o luve hae taen hald o me.’9. . . . . . .. . . . . . .There cam a white horse an a letter,That stopped the weddin speidilie.10She leant her back on her bed-side,An her heart did brak in pieces three;She was buried an bemoaned,But the birds waur Willie’s companie.
1‘My luve she lives in Lincolnshire,I wat she’s neither black nor broun,But her hair is like the thread o gowd,Aye an it waur weel kaimëd doun.’
1
‘My luve she lives in Lincolnshire,
I wat she’s neither black nor broun,
But her hair is like the thread o gowd,
Aye an it waur weel kaimëd doun.’
2She’s pued the black mask owre her face,An blinkit gaily wi her ee:‘O will you to my weddin come,An will you bear me gude companie?’
2
She’s pued the black mask owre her face,
An blinkit gaily wi her ee:
‘O will you to my weddin come,
An will you bear me gude companie?’
3‘I winna to your weddin come,Nor [will] I bear you gude companie,Unless you be the bride yoursell,An me the bridegroom to be.’
3
‘I winna to your weddin come,
Nor [will] I bear you gude companie,
Unless you be the bride yoursell,
An me the bridegroom to be.’
4‘For me to be the bride mysel,An you the bonnie bridegroom to be—Cheer up your heart, Sweet Willie,’ she said,‘For that’s the day you’ll never see.
4
‘For me to be the bride mysel,
An you the bonnie bridegroom to be—
Cheer up your heart, Sweet Willie,’ she said,
‘For that’s the day you’ll never see.
5‘Gin you waur on your saiddle set,An gaily ridin on the way,You’ll hae nae mair mind o AlisonThan she waur dead an laid in clay.’
5
‘Gin you waur on your saiddle set,
An gaily ridin on the way,
You’ll hae nae mair mind o Alison
Than she waur dead an laid in clay.’
6When he was on his saiddle set,An slowly ridin on the way,He had mair mind o AlisonThan he had o the licht o day.
6
When he was on his saiddle set,
An slowly ridin on the way,
He had mair mind o Alison
Than he had o the licht o day.
7He saw a hart draw near a hare,An aye that hare drew near a toun,An that same hart did get a hare,But the gentle knicht got neer a toun.
7
He saw a hart draw near a hare,
An aye that hare drew near a toun,
An that same hart did get a hare,
But the gentle knicht got neer a toun.
8He leant him owre his saiddle-bow,An his heart did brak in pieces three;Wi sighen said him Sweet Willie,‘The pains o luve hae taen hald o me.’
8
He leant him owre his saiddle-bow,
An his heart did brak in pieces three;
Wi sighen said him Sweet Willie,
‘The pains o luve hae taen hald o me.’
9. . . . . . .. . . . . . .There cam a white horse an a letter,That stopped the weddin speidilie.
9
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
There cam a white horse an a letter,
That stopped the weddin speidilie.
10She leant her back on her bed-side,An her heart did brak in pieces three;She was buried an bemoaned,But the birds waur Willie’s companie.
10
She leant her back on her bed-side,
An her heart did brak in pieces three;
She was buried an bemoaned,
But the birds waur Willie’s companie.
a.
23. Oh. 103. He was.
b.
Butwanting:threads.
21. She pu’d: mask aff.
22. blinked blythely.
23. Says, Will ye.
24. Or: gudewanting.
32. Nor will; gude wanting.
34. the bonny bridegroom be.
42. towanting.
43. Sweetwanting.
52. And merry.
53. Ye’ll mind nae mair o.
54. When.
62. An weary.
71. He spied: draw till.
72. aye the.
73. Anwanting.
81. leand his back to his.
83. said that sweet.
84. luve’s taen.
91,2. Their wedding-day it was well set, And a’ their friends invited there.
93. While came.
94. wedding in prepare.
Before 101: She said, If Willie he be dead, A wedded wife I’ll never be.
101. Then leand her back to her bed-stock.
102. Her heart in pieces broke in three.
103. then was.