Читать книгу English and Scottish Ballads (Vol. 1-8) - Various Authors - Страница 52

"O well love I to ride in a mist,

And shoot in a northern wind;

And far better a lady to steal,

That's come of a noble kind."

5 Four-and-twenty fair ladies

Put on that lady's sheen;

And as many young gentlemen

Did lead her o'er the green.

Yet she preferred before them all

10 Him, young Hastings the Groom;

He's coosten a mist before them all,

And away this lady has ta'en.

He's taken the lady on him behind,

Spared neither the grass nor corn,

15 Till they came to the wood of Amonshaw,

Where again their loves were sworn.

And they have lived in that wood

Full many a year and day,

And were supported from time to time,

20 By what he made of prey.

And seven bairns, fair and fine,

There she has born to him,

And never was in good church door,

Nor never gat good kirking.

25 Once she took harp into her hand,

And harped them asleep;

Then she sat down at their couch side,

And bitterly did weep.

Said, "Seven bairns have I born now

30 To my lord in the ha';

I wish they were seven greedy rats,

To run upon the wa',

And I mysel' a great grey cat,

To eat them ane an' a'.

35 "For ten long years now I have lived

Within this cave of stane,

And never was at good church door,

Nor got no good churching."

O then outspak her eldest child,

40 And a fine boy was he—

"O hold your tongue, my mother dear;

I'll tell you what to dee.

"Take you the youngest in your lap,

The next youngest by the hand;

45 Put all the rest of us you before,

As you learnt us to gang.

"And go with us into some good kirk—

You say they are built of stane—

And let us all be christened,

50 And you get good kirking."

She took the youngest in her lap,

The next youngest by the hand;

Set all the rest of them her before,

As she learnt them to gang.

55 And she has left the wood with them,

And to a kirk has gane;

Where the good priest them christened,

And gave her good kirking.