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I
PRINCE ROBERT has wedded a gay ladye, | |
| He has wadded her with a ring; | |
| Prince Robert has wedded a gay ladye, | |
| But he daur na bring her hame. | |
| |
II
‘Your blessing, your blessing, my mother dear, | 5 |
| Your blessing now grant to me!’— | |
| ‘Instead of a blessing ye sall have my curse, | |
| And you’ll get nae blessing frae me.’ | |
| |
III
She has call’d upon her waiting-maid, | |
| To fill her a glass of wine; | 10 |
| She has called upon her fause steward, | |
| To put rank poison in. | |
| |
IV
She has put it to her roudès lip, | |
| And to her roudès chin; | |
| She has put it to her fause, fause mouth, | 15 |
| But the never a drop gaed in. | |
| |
V
He has put it to his bonny mouth, | |
| And to his bonny chin, | |
| He’s put it to his cherry lip, | |
| And sae fast the rank poison ran in. | 20 |
| |
VI
‘O ye hae poison’d your ae son, mother, | |
| Your ae son and your heir; | |
| O ye hae poisoned your ae son, mother, | |
| And sons you’ll never hae mair. | |
| |
VII
‘O where will I get a little boy, | 25 |
| That will win hose and shoon, | |
| To rin sae fast to Darlinton, | |
| And bid Fair Eleanor come?’ | |
| |
VIII
Then up and spake a little boy, | |
| That wad win hose and shoon, | 30 |
| ‘O I’ll away to Darlinton, | |
| And bid Fair Eleanor come.’ | |
| |
IX
O he has run to Darlinton, | |
| And tirlèd at the pin; | |
| And wha was sae ready as Eleanor’s sel’ | 35 |
| To let the bonny boy in? | |
| |
X
‘Your gude-mother’s made ye a rare dinour, | |
| She’s made it baith gude and fine; | |
| Your gude-mother’s made ye a gay dinour, | |
| And ye maun come till her and dine.’ | 40 |
| |
XI
It’s twenty lang miles to Sillertoun town, | |
| The langest that ever were gane; | |
| But the steed it was wight, and the ladye was light, | |
| And she cam’ linkin’ in. | |
| |
XII
But when she came to Sillertoun town, | 45 |
| And into Sillertoun ha’, | |
| The torches were burning, the ladies were mourning, | |
| And they were weeping a’. | |
| |
XIII
‘O where is now my wedded lord, | |
| And where now can he be? | 50 |
| O where is now my wedded lord? | |
| For him I canna see.’— | |
| |
XIV
‘Your wedded lord is dead,’ she says, | |
| ‘And just gane to be laid in the clay; | |
| Your wedded lord is dead,’ she says, | 55 |
| ‘And just gane to be buried the day. | |
| |
XV
‘Ye’se get nane o’ his gowd, ye’se get nane o’ his gear, | |
| Ye’se get nae thing frae me; | |
| Ye’se na get an inch o’ his gude broad land, | |
| Tho’ your heart suld burst in three.’ | 60 |
| |
XVI
‘I want nane o’ his gowd, I want nane o’ his gear, | |
| I want nae land frae thee; | |
| But I’ll hae the rings that’s on his finger, | |
| For them he did promise to me.’ | |
| |
XVII
‘Ye’se na get the rings that’s on his finger, | 65 |
| Ye’se na get them frae me; | |
| Ye’se na get the rings that’s on his finger, | |
| An’ your heart suld burst in three.’ | |
| |
XVIII
She’s turn’d her back unto the wa’, | |
| And her face unto a rock, | 70 |
| And there, before the mother’s face, | |
| Her very heart it broke. | |
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