Читать книгу English and Scottish Ballads (Vol. 1-8) - Various Authors - Страница 144

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From Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, i. 245. A fragment, exhibiting some differences, is among those ballads of Buchan which are published in the Percy Society's volumes, xvii. 66. Four stanzas, of a superior cast, upon the same story, are printed in the Tea-Table Miscellany, (ii. 141.)

Rare Willy drown'd in Yarrow.

"Willy's rare, and Willy's fair,

And Willy's wond'rous bonny;

And Willy heght to marry me,

Gin e'er he married ony.

"Yestreen I made my bed fu' braid,

This night I'll make it narrow;

For a' the livelang winter night

I ly twin'd of my marrow.

"O came you by yon water-side?

Pou'd you the rose or lilly?

Or came you by yon meadow green?

Or saw you my sweet Willy?"

She sought him east, she sought him west,

She sought him braid and narrow;

Syne in the cleaving of a craig,

She found him drown'd in Yarrow.

These stanzas furnished the theme to Logan's Braes of Yarrow.

"O Willie is fair, and Willie is rare,

And Willie is wond'rous bonny;

And Willie says he'll marry me,

Gin ever he marry ony."

"O ye'se get James, or ye'se get George,5

Or ye's get bonny Johnnie;

Ye'se get the flower o' a' my sons,

Gin ye'll forsake my Willie."

"O what care I for James or George,

Or yet for bonny Peter?10

I dinna value their love a leek,

An' I getna Willie the writer."

"O Willie has a bonny hand,

And dear but it is bonny;"

"He has nae mair for a' his land;15

What wou'd ye do wi' Willie?"

"O Willie has a bonny face,

And dear but it is bonny;"

"But Willie has nae other grace;

What wou'd ye do wi' Willie?"20

"Willie's fair, and Willie's rare,

And Willie's wond'rous bonny;

There's nane wi' him that can compare,

I love him best of ony."

On Wednesday, that fatal day,25

The people were convening;

Besides all this, threescore and ten,

To gang to the bridesteel wi' him.

"Ride on, ride on, my merry men a',

I've forgot something behind me;30

I've forgot to get my mother's blessing,

To gae to the bridesteel wi' me."

"Your Peggy she's but bare fifteen,

And ye are scarcely twenty;

The water o' Gamery is wide and braid,35

My heavy curse gang wi' thee!"

Then they rode on, and further on,

Till they came on to Gamery;

The wind was loud, the stream was proud,

And wi' the stream gaed Willie.40

Then they rode on, and further on,

Till they came to the kirk o' Gamery;

And every one on high horse sat,

But Willie's horse rade toomly.

When they were settled at that place,45

The people fell a mourning;

And a council held amo' them a',

But sair, sair wept Kinmundy.

Then out it speaks the bride hersell,

Says, "What means a' this mourning?50

Where is the man amo' them a',

That shou'd gie me fair wedding?"

Then out it speaks his brother John,

Says, "Meg, I'll tell you plainly;

The stream was strong, the clerk rade wrong,55

And Willie's drown'd in Gamery."

She put her hand up to her head,

Where were the ribbons many;

She rave them a', let them down fa',

And straightway ran to Gamery.60

She sought it up, she sought it down,

Till she was wet and weary;

And in the middle part o' it,

There she got her deary.

Then she stroak'd back his yellow hair,65

And kiss'd his mou' sae comely;

"My mother's heart's be as wae as thine;

We'se baith asleep in the water o' Gamery."