Читать книгу English and Scottish Ballads (Vol. 1-8) - Various Authors - Страница 38

Table of Contents

Kemp Owyne, says Motherwell, "was, no doubt, the same Ewein or Owain, ap Urien the king of Reged, who is celebrated by the bards, Taliessin and Llywarch-Hen, as well as in the Welsh historical Triads. In a poem of Gruffyd Llwyd, A.D. 1400, addressed to Owain Glyndwr, is the following allusion to this warrior. 'Thou hast travelled by land and by sea in the conduct of thine affairs, like Owain ap Urien in days of yore, when with activity he encountered the black knight of the water.'3 His mistress had a ring esteemed one of the thirteen rarities of Britain, which, (like the wondrous ring of Gyges) would render the wearer invisible." Minstrelsy, p. lxxxiii.

3 "On sea, on land, thou still didst brave The dangerous cliff and rapid wave; Like Urien, who subdued the knight, And the fell dragon put to flight, Yon moss-grown fount beside; The grim, black warrior of the flood, The dragon, gorged with human blood, The waters' scaly pride." Jones's Welsh Bards, i. 41.

The copy of Kemp Owyne printed in Buchan's Ancient Ballads, (ii. 78,) is the same as the following.

Her mother died when she was young,

Which gave her cause to make great moan;

Her father married the warst woman

That ever lived in Christendom.

5 She served her with foot and hand,

In every thing that she could dee;

Till once, in an unlucky time,

She threw her in ower Craigy's sea.

Says, "Lie you there, dove Isabel,

10 And all my sorrows lie with thee;

Till Kemp Owyne come ower the sea,

And borrow you with kisses three,

Let all the warld do what they will,

Oh borrowed shall you never be."

15 Her breath grew strang, her hair grew lang,

And twisted thrice about the tree,

And all the people, far and near,

Thought that a savage beast was she;

This news did come to Kemp Owyne,

20 Where he lived far beyond the sea.

He hasted him to Craigy's sea,

And on the savage beast look'd he;

Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,

And twisted was about the tree,

25 And with a swing she came about:

"Come to Craigy's sea, and kiss with me.

"Here is a royal belt," she cried,

"That I have found in the green sea;

And while your body it is on,

30 Drawn shall your blood never be;

But if you touch me, tail or fin,

I vow my belt your death shall be."

He stepped in, gave her a kiss,

The royal belt he brought him wi';

35 Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,

And twisted twice about the tree,

And with a swing she came about:

"Come to Craigy's sea, and kiss with me.

"Here is a royal ring," she said,

40 "That I have found in the green sea;

And while your finger it is on,

Drawn shall your blood never be;

But if you touch me, tail or fin,

I swear my ring your death shall be."

45 He stepped in, gave her a kiss,

The royal ring he brought him wi';

Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,

And twisted ance around the tree,

And with a swing she came about:

50 "Come to Craigy's sea, and kiss with me.

"Here is a royal brand," she said,

"That I have found in the green sea;

And while your body it is on,

Drawn shall your blood never be;

55 But if you touch me, tail or fin,

I swear my brand your death shall be."

He stepped in, gave her a kiss,

The royal brand he brought him wi';

Her breath was sweet, her hair grew short,

60 And twisted nane about the tree;0

And smilingly she came about,

As fair a woman as fair could be.