Читать книгу English and Scottish Ballads (Vol. 1-8) - Various Authors - Страница 123
SWEET WILLIE.
Оглавление"This ballad has had the misfortune, in common with many others, of being much mutilated by reciters. I have endeavoured, by the assistance of some fragments, to make it as complete as possible; and have even taken the liberty of altering the arrangement of some of the stanzas of a lately-procured copy, that they might the better cohere with those already printed." Finlay's Scottish Ballads, ii. 61.
"Will you marry the southland lord,
A queen o' fair England to be?
Or will you mourn for sweet Willie,
The morn upon yon lea?"
"I will marry the southland lord,5
Father, sen it is your will;
But I'd rather it were my burial day,
For my grave I'm going till.
"O go, O go now my bower wife,
O go now hastilie,10
O go now to sweet Willie's bower,
And bid him cum speak to me.—
"Now, Willie, gif ye love me weel,
As sae it seems to me,
Gar build, gar build a bonny ship,15
Gar build it speedilie!
"And we will sail the sea sae green
Unto some far countrie;
Or we'll sail to some bonny isle,
Stands lanely midst the sea."20
But lang or e'er the ship was built,
Or deck'd or rigged out,
Cam sic a pain in Annet's back,
That down she cou'dna lout.
"Now, Willie, gin ye love me weel,25
As sae it seems to me,
O haste, haste, bring me to my bower,
And my bower maidens three."
He's ta'en her in his arms twa,
And kiss'd her cheek and chin,30
He's brocht her to her ain sweet bower,
But nae bower maid was in.
"Now leave my bower, Willie," she said,
"Now leave me to my lane;
Was never man in a lady's bower35
When she was travailing."
He's stepped three steps down the stair,
Upon the marble stane,
Sae loud's he heard his young son greet,
But and his lady mane.40
"Now come, now come, Willie," she said,
"Tak your young son frae me,
And hie him to your mother's bower,
With speed and privacie."
And he is to his mother's bower,45
As fast as he could rin;
"Open, open, my mother dear,
Open, and let me in;
"For the rain rains on my yellow hair,
The dew stands on my chin,50
And I have something in my lap,
And I wad fain be in."
"O go, O go now, sweet Willie,
And make your lady blithe,
For wherever you had ae nourice,55
Your young son shall hae five."—
Out spak Annet's mother dear,
An' she spak a word o' pride;
Says, "Whare is a' our bride's maidens,
They're no busking the bride?"60
"O haud your tongue, my mother dear,
Your speaking let it be,
For I'm sae fair and full o' flesh,
Little busking will serve me."
Out an' spak the bride's maidens,65
They spak a word o' pride;
Says, "Whare is a' the fine cleiding?
Its we maun busk the bride."
"Deal hooly wi' my head, maidens,
Deal hooly wi' my hair,70
For it was washen late yestreen,
And it is wonder sair.
"My maidens, easy wi' my back,
And easy wi' my side;
O set my saddle saft, Willie,75
I am a tender bride."
O up then spak the southland lord,
And blinkit wi' his ee;
"I trow this lady's born a bairn,"
Then laucht loud lauchters three.80
"Ye hae gi'en me the gowk, Annet,
But I'll gie you the scorn;
For there's no a bell in a' the town
Shall ring for you the morn."
Out and spak then sweet Willie,85
"Sae loud's I hear you lie,
There's no a bell in a' the town
But shall ring for Annet and me."
And Willie swore a great great oath,
And he swore by the thorn,90
That she was as free o' a child that night,
As the night that she was born.
O up an' spak the brisk bridegroom, And he spak up wi' pride, "Gin I should lay my gloves in pawn,95 I will dance wi' the bride."
"Now haud your tongue, my lord," she said, "Wi' dancing let me be, I am sae thin in flesh and blude, Sma' dancing will serve me."100
But she's ta'en Willie by the hand,
The tear blinded her ee;
"But I wad dance wi' my true love,
But bursts my heart in three."
She's ta'en her bracelet frae her arm,105
Her garter frae her knee,
"Gie that, gie that, to my young son;
He'll ne'er his mother see."
93. Sic Herd. Finlay, then sweet Willie.
97. Sic Herd. Finlay, Willie, she said.
