| |
I
ANNAN water’s wading deep, | |
| And my love Annie’s wondrous bonny; | |
| And I am laith she suld weet her feet, | |
| Because I love her best of ony. | |
| |
II
‘Gar saddle me the bonny black, | 5 |
| Gar saddle sune, and make him ready; | |
| For I will down the Gatehope-Slack, | |
| And all to see my bonny ladye.’ | |
| |
III
He has loupen on the bonny black, | |
| He stirr’d him wi’ the spur right sairly; | 10 |
| But, or he wan the Gatehope-Slack, | |
| I think the steed was wae and weary. | |
| |
IV
He has loupen on the bonny grey, | |
| He rade the right gate and the ready; | |
| I trow he would neither stint nor stay, | 15 |
| For he was seeking his bonny ladye. | |
| |
V
O he has ridden o’er field and fell, | |
| Through muir and moss, and mony a mire: | |
| His spurs o’ steel were sair to bide, | |
| And frae her fore-feet flew the fire. | 20 |
| |
VI
‘Now, bonny grey, now play your part! | |
| Gin ye be the steed that wins my deary, | |
| Wi’ corn and hay ye’se be fed for aye, | |
| And never spur sall make you wearie.’ | |
| |
VII
The grey was a mare, and a right good mare; | 25 |
| But when she wan the Annan water, | |
| She couldna hae ridden a furlong mair, | |
| Had a thousand merks been wadded at her. | |
| |
VIII
‘O boatman, boatman, put off your boat! | |
| Put off your boat for gowden money! | 30 |
| I cross the drumly stream the night, | |
| Or never mair I see my honey.’— | |
| |
IX
‘O I was sworn sae late yestreen, | |
| And not by ae aith, but by many; | |
| And for a’ the gowd in fair Scotland, | 35 |
| I dare na take ye through to Annie.’— | |
| |
X
The side was stey, and the bottom deep, | |
| Frae bank to brae the water pouring; | |
| And the bonny grey mare did sweat for fear, | |
| For she heard the water-kelpy roaring. | 40 |
| |
XI
O he has pu’d aff his dapperpy coat, | |
| The silver buttons glancéd bonny; | |
| The waistcoat bursted aff his breast, | |
| He was sae full of melancholy. | |
| |
XII
He has ta’en the ford at that stream tail; | 45 |
| I wot he swam both strong and steady, | |
| But the stream was broad, and his strength did fail, | |
| And he never saw his bonny ladye! | |
| |
XIII
O wae betide the frush saugh wand! | |
| And wae betide the bush of brier! | 50 |
| It brake into my true love’s hand, | |
| When his strength did fail, and his limbs did tire. | |
| |
XIV
And wae betide ye, Annan Water, | |
| This night that ye are a drumlie river! | |
| For over thee I’ll build a bridge, | 55 |
| That ye never more true love may sever.’— | |
| | | GLOSS: gravat] cravat, collar. drie] endure. scug] screen, expiate. gate] way. wadded] wagered. drumly] turbid. stey] steep. water-kelpy] water-sprite. dapperpy] diapered. frush] brittle. saugh] willow. |
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