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| LORD THOMAS 1 and Fair Annet | |
| Sate a’ day on a hill; | |
| Whan night was cum, and sun was sett, | |
| They had not talkt their fill. | |
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| Lord Thomas said a word in jest, | 5 |
| Fair Annet took it ill: | |
| ‘A’, I will nevir wed a wife | |
| Against my ain friends’ will.’ | |
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| ‘Gif ye wull nevir wed a wife, | |
| A wife wull neir wed yee:’ | 10 |
| Sae he is hame to tell his mither, | |
| And knelt upon his knee. | |
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| ‘O rede, O rede, mither,’ he says, | |
| ‘A gude rede gie to mee; | |
| O sall I tak the nut-browne bride, | 15 |
| And let Faire Annet bee?’ | |
| |
| ‘The nut-browne bride haes gowd and gear, | |
| Fair Annet she has gat nane; | |
| And the little beauty Fair Annet haes | |
| O it wull soon be gane.’ | 20 |
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| And he has till his brother gane; | |
| ‘Now, brother, rede ye mee; | |
| A’, sall I marrie the nut-browne bride, | |
| And let Fair Annet bee?’ | |
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| ‘The nut-browne bride has oxen, brother, | 25 |
| The nut-browne bride has kye; | |
| I wad hae ye marrie the nut-browne bride, | |
| And cast Fair Annet bye.’ | |
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| ‘Her oxen may dye i’ the house, billie, | |
| And her kye into the byre; | 30 |
| And I sall hae nothing to mysell | |
| Bot a fat fadge by the fyre.’ | |
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| And he has till his sister gane: | |
| ‘Now, sister, rede ye mee; | |
| O sall I marrie the nut-browne bride, | 35 |
| And set Fair Annet free?’ | |
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| ‘I’se rede ye tak Fair Annet, Thomas, | |
| And let the browne bride alane; | |
| Lest ye sould sigh, and say, Alace, | |
| What is this we brought hame!’ | 40 |
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| ‘No, I will tak my mither’s counsel, | |
| And marrie me owt o’ hand: | |
| And I will tak the nut-browne bride, | |
| Fair Annet may leive the land.’ | |
| |
| Up then rose Fair Annet’s father, | 45 |
| Twa hours or it wer day, | |
| And he is gane unto the bower | |
| Wherein Fair Annet lay. | |
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| ‘Rise up, rise up, Fair Annet,’ he says, | |
| ‘Put on your silken sheene; | 50 |
| Let us gae to St. Marie’s Kirke, | |
| And see that rich weddeen.’ | |
| |
| ‘My maides, gae to my dressing-roome, | |
| And dress to me my hair; | |
| Whaireir yee laid a plait before, | 55 |
| See yee lay ten times mair. | |
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| ‘My maides, gae to my dressing-roome, | |
| And dress to me my smock; | |
| The one half is o’ the holland fine, | |
| The other o’ needle-work.’ | 60 |
| |
| The horse Fair Annet rade upon, | |
| He amblit like the wind; | |
| Wi’ siller he was shod before, | |
| Wi’ burning gowd behind. | |
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| Four and twanty siller bells | 65 |
| Wer a’ tyed till his mane, | |
| And yae tift o’ the norland wind, | |
| They tinkled ane by ane. | |
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| Four and twanty gay gude knichts | |
| Rade by Fair Annet’s side, | 70 |
| And four and twanty fair ladies, | |
| As gin she had bin a bride. | |
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| And whan she cam to Marie’s Kirk, | |
| She sat on Marie’s stean: | |
| The cleading that Fair Annet had on | 75 |
| It skinkled in their een. | |
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| And whan she cam into the kirk, | |
| She shimmered like the sun; | |
| The belt that was about her waist | |
| Was a’ wi’ pearles bedone. | 80 |
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| She sat her by the nut-browne bride, | |
| And her een they wer sae clear, | |
| Lord Thomas he clean forgat the bride, | |
| When Fair Annet drew near. | |
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| He had a rose into his hand, | 85 |
| He gae it kisses three, | |
| And reaching by the nut-browne bride, | |
| Laid it on Fair Annet’s knee. | |
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| Up then spak the nut-browne bride, | |
| She spak wi’ meikle spite: | 90 |
| ‘And whair gat ye that rose-water, | |
| That does mak yee sae white?’ | |
| |
| ‘O I did get the rose-water | |
| Whair ye wull neir get nane, | |
| For I did get that very rose-water | 95 |
| Into my mither’s wame.’ | |
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| The bride she drew a long bodkin | |
| Frae out her gay head-gear, | |
| And strake Fair Annet unto the heart, | |
| That word spak nevir mair. | 100 |
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| Lord Thomas he saw Fair Annet wex pale, | |
| And marvelit what mote bee; | |
| But whan he saw her dear heart’s blude, | |
| A’ wood-wroth wexed hee. | |
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| He drew his dagger that was sae sharp, | 105 |
| That was sae sharp and meet, | |
| And drave it into the nut-browne bride, | |
| That fell deid at his feit. | |
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| ‘Now stay for me, dear Annet,’ he sed, | |
| ‘Now stay, my dear,’ he cry’d; | 110 |
| Then strake the dagger until his heart, | |
| And fell deid by her side. | |
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| Lord Thomas was buried without kirk-wa, | |
| Fair Annet within the quiere, | |
| And o’ the ane thair grew a birk, | 115 |
| The other a bonny briere. | |
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| And ay they grew, and ay they threw, | |
| As they wad faine be neare; | |
| And by this ye may ken right weil | |
| They were twa luvers deare. | 120 |
