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I
ERLINTON had a fair daughter; | |
| I wat he wear’d her in a great sin; | |
| For he has built a bigly bower, | |
| And a’ to put that lady in. | |
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II
An’ he has warn’d her sisters six, | 5 |
| An’ sae has he her brethren se’en, | |
| Outher to watch her a’ the night, | |
| Or else to seek her morn an’ e’en. | |
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III
She hadna been i’ that bigly bower, | |
| Na not a night but barely ane, | 10 |
| Till there was Willie, her ain true love, | |
| Chapp’d at the door, cryin’ ‘Peace within!’ | |
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IV
‘O whae is this at my bower door, | |
| That chaps sae late, nor kens the gin?’— | |
| ‘O it is Willie, your ain true love, | 15 |
| I pray you rise an’ let me in.’— | |
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V
‘For a’ sae weel as I like ye, Willie, | |
| For a’ sae weel as I ken the gin, | |
| I wadna for ten thousand pounds, love, | |
| Na, no this night wad I let ye in. | 20 |
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VI
‘But in the green-wood is a wake, | |
| And at the wake there is a wane, | |
| An’ there I’ll come as sune the morn, love, | |
| Na no a mile but barely ane. | |
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VII
‘On my right hand I’ll have a glo’, love, | 25 |
| And on my left hand I’ll have nane; | |
| I’ll have wi’ me my sisters six, love, | |
| And we will wauk the wood our lane.’ | |
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VIII
Then she’s gane to her bed again, | |
| She has layen till the cock crew thrice, | 30 |
| An’ then she said to her sisters a’, | |
| ‘Maidens, ’tis time for us to rise. | |
| |
IX
She pat on her back her silken gown, | |
| An’ on her breast a siller pin, | |
| An’ she’s ta’en her sisters by the hand, | 35 |
| An’ to the green-wood she is gane. | |
| |
X
They hadna wauk’d in the bonny green-wood, | |
| Na no an hour but barely ane, | |
| Till up start Willie, her ain true love, | |
| Wha frae her sisters has her ta’en. | 40 |
| |
XI
An’ he has kiss’d her sisters six, | |
| An’ he has sent them hame again, | |
| But he has keepit his ain true love, | |
| Sayin’ ‘We’ll wauk the woods our lane.’ | |
| |
XII
They hadna wauk’d in the bonnie green-wood | 45 |
| Na no an hour but barely ane, | |
| Till up start fifteen o’ the bravest outlaws | |
| That ever bare either blood or bane. | |
| |
XIII
Then up bespake the foremost knight,— | |
| An’ O but he spake angrily: | 50 |
| Says, ‘Yield to me thy ladye bright, | |
| This night shall wauk the woods wi’ me.’— | |
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XIV
‘I like her weel, my ladye bright, | |
| And O my life but it lies me near! | |
| But before I lose my ladye bright | 55 |
| I’ll rather lose my life sae dear.’ | |
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XV
But up an’ spake the second knight— | |
| I wat he spake right boustruslie— | |
| Says, ‘Baith your life an’ your ladye bright | |
| This night shall wauk the woods wi’ me.’— | 60 |
| |
XVI
‘My ladye is my warldis meed: | |
| My life I winna yield to nane; | |
| But if ye be men of your manheid, | |
| Ye’ll only fight me ane by ane.— | |
| |
XVII
‘O sit ye down, my dearest dear, | 65 |
| Sit down an’ hold my milk-white steed, | |
| An’ see that ye dinna change your cheer | |
| Until ye see my body bleed.’ | |
| |
XVIII
He set his back unto an aik, | |
| He set his feet against a stane, | 70 |
| He’s feightin a’ these fifteen outlaws, | |
| An’ kill’d them a’ but barely ane. | |
| |
XIX
An’ he has gane to his ladye dear, | |
| I wat he kiss’d her cheek an’ chin— | |
| ‘Thou art mine ain, I have bought thee dear, | 75 |
| An’ now we will wauk the woods our lane. | |
| | | GLOSS: wear’d her in] led her into. chapp’d] knocked. gin] trick, or sleight, of the door-latch. wake (obscure). wane] dwelling, arbor. glo’] glove. our lane] we alone. warldis meed] world’s reward, most precious thing in the world: or perhaps corrupted from warldis make, mate. aik] oak. |
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