Читать книгу English and Scottish Ballads (Vol. 1-8) - Various Authors - Страница 122

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From Sharpe's Ballad Book, p. 1.

"This ballad, the subject of which appears to have been very popular, is printed as it was sung by an old woman in Perthshire. The air is extremely beautiful."

Herd gave an imperfect version of this ballad under the title of Willie and Annet, in his Scottish Songs, i. 219; repeated after him in Ritson's Scottish Songs, and in Johnson's Museum. Finlay's copy, improved, but made up of fragments, follows the present, and in the Appendix is Sweet Willie and Fair Maisry, from Buchan's collection. We have followed Motherwell by inserting (in brackets) three stanzas from Willie and Annet and Sweet Willie, which contribute slightly to complete Sharpe's copy. None of these ballads is satisfactory, though Sharpe's is the best. Touching the relation of Fair Janet to the Danish ballad of King Waldemar and his Sister, the reader will please look at the preface to the preceding ballad.

"Ye maun gang to your father, Janet,

Ye maun gang to him soon;

Ye maun gang to your father, Janet,

In case that his days are dune!"

Janet's awa' to her father,5

As fast as she could hie;

"O what's your will wi' me, father?

O what's your will wi' me?"

"My will wi' you, Fair Janet," he said,

"It is both bed and board;10

Some say that ye lo'e Sweet Willie,

But ye maun wed a French lord."

"A French lord maun I wed, father?

A French lord maun I wed?

Then, by my sooth," quo' Fair Janet,15

"He's ne'er enter my bed."

Janet's awa' to her chamber,

As fast as she could go;

Wha's the first ane that tapped there,

But Sweet Willie her jo!20

"O we maun part this love, Willie,

That has been lang between;

There's a French lord coming o'er the sea

To wed me wi' a ring;

There 's a French lord coming o'er the sea,25

To wed and tak me hame."

"If we maun part this love, Janet,

It causeth mickle woe;

If we maun part this love, Janet,

It makes me into mourning go."30

"But ye maun gang to your three sisters,

Meg, Marion, and Jean;

Tell them to come to Fair Janet,

In case that her days are dune."

Willie's awa' to his three sisters,35

Meg, Marion, and Jean;

"O haste, and gang to Fair Janet,

I fear that her days are dune."

Some drew to them their silken hose,

Some drew to them their shoon,40

Some drew to them their silk manteils,

Their coverings to put on;

And they're awa' to Fair Janet,

By the hie light o' the moon.

* * * * * * *

"O I have born this babe, Willie,45

Wi' mickle toil and pain;

Take hame, take hame, your babe, Willie,

For nurse I dare be nane."

He's tane his young son in his arms,

And kist him cheek and chin—50

And he's awa' to his mother's bower,

By the hie light o' the moon.

"O open, open, mother," he says,

"O open, and let me in;

The rain rains on my yellow hair,55

And the dew drops o'er my chin—

And I hae my young son in my arms,

I fear that his days are dune."

With her fingers lang and sma'

She lifted up the pin;60

And with her arms lang and sma'

Received the baby in.

"Gae back, gae back now, Sweet Willie,

And comfort your fair lady;

For where ye had but ae nourice,65

Your young son shall hae three."

Willie he was scarce awa',

And the lady put to bed,

When in and came her father dear:

"Make haste, and busk the bride."70

"There's a sair pain in my head, father,

There's a sair pain in my side;

And ill, O ill, am I, father,

This day for to be a bride."

"O ye maun busk this bonny bride,75

And put a gay mantle on;

For she shall wed this auld French lord,

Gin she should die the morn."

Some put on the gay green robes,

And some put on the brown;80

But Janet put on the scarlet robes,

To shine foremost through the town.

And some they mounted the black steed,

And some mounted the brown;

But Janet mounted the milk-white steed,85

To ride foremost through the town.

"O wha will guide your horse, Janet?

O wha will guide him best?"

"O wha but Willie, my true love,

He kens I lo'e him best!"90

And when they cam to Marie's kirk,

To tye the haly ban,

Fair Janet's cheek looked pale and wan,

And her colour gaed and cam.

When dinner it was past and done,95

And dancing to begin,

"O we'll go take the bride's maidens,

And we'll go fill the ring."

O ben than cam the auld French lord,

Saying, "Bride, will ye dance with me?"

"Awa', awa', ye auld French Lord,100

Your face I downa see."

O ben than cam now Sweet Willie,

He cam with ane advance:

"O I'll go tak the bride's maidens,105

And we'll go tak a dance."

"I've seen ither days wi' you, Willie,

And so has mony mae;

Ye would hae danced wi' me mysel',

Let a' my maidens gae."110

O ben than cam now Sweet Willie,

Saying, "Bride, will ye dance wi' me?"

"Aye, by my sooth, and that I will,

Gin my back should break in three."

[And she's ta'en Willie by the hand,115

The tear blinded her e'e;

"O I wad dance wi' my true love,

Tho' bursts my heart in three!"]

She hadna turned her throw the dance,

Throw the dance but thrice,120

Whan she fell doun at Willie's feet,

And up did never rise!

[She's ta'en her bracelet frae her arm,

Her garter frae her knee:

"Gie that, gie that, to my young son;125

He'll ne'er his mother see."]

Willie's ta'en the key of his coffer,

And gi'en it to his man;

"Gae hame, and tell my mother dear,

My horse he has me slain;130

Bid her be kind to my young son,

For father he has nane."

["Gar deal, gar deal the bread," he cried,

"Gar deal, gar deal the wine;

This day has seen my true love's death,135

This night shall witness mine."]

The tane was buried in Marie's kirk,

And the tither in Marie's quire:

Out of the tane there grew a birk,

And the tither a bonny brier.140