Читать книгу English and Scottish Ballads (Vol. 1-8) - Various Authors - Страница 76

Take warnin', a' ye ladyes fair,

That wear gowd on your hair;

Come never unto Charter-woods,

For Tam-a-line he's there.

5 Even about that knicht's middle

O' siller bells are nine;

Nae ane comes to Charter-woods,

And a may returns agen.

Ladye Margaret sits in her bouir door,

10 Sewing at her silken seam;

And she lang'd to gang to Charter woods,

To pou the roses green.

She hadna pou'd a rose, a rose,

Nor braken a branch but ane,

15 Till by it came him true Tam-a-line,

Says, "Layde, lat alane.

"O why pou ye the rose, the rose?

Or why brake ye the tree?

Or why come ye to Charter-woods,

20 Without leave ask'd of me?"

"I will pou the rose, the rose,

And I will brake the tree;

Charter-woods are a' my ain,

I'll ask nae leave o' thee."

25 He's taen her by the milk-white hand,

And by the grass-green sleeve;

And laid her low on gude green wood,

At her he spier'd nae leave.

When he had got his will o' her,

30 His will as he had ta'en,

He's ta'en her by the middle sma',

Set her to feet again.

She turn'd her richt and round about,

To spier her true love's name,

35 But naething heard she, nor naething saw,

As a' the woods grew dim.

Seven days she tarried there,

Saw neither sun nor muin;

At length, by a sma' glimmerin' licht,

40 Came thro' the wood her lane.

When she came to her father's court,

Was fine as ony queen;

But when eight months were past and gane,

Got on the gown o' green.

45 Then out it speaks an eldren knicht,

As he stood at the yett;

"Our king's dochter, she gaes wi' bairn,

And we'll get a' the wyte."

"O haud your tongue, ye eldren man,

50 And bring me not to shame;

Although that I do gang wi' bairn,

Yese naeways get the blame.

"Were my love but an earthly man,

As he's an elfin knicht,

55 I wadna gie my ain true luve,

For a' that's in my sicht."

Then out it speaks her brither dear,

He meant to do her harm,

"There is an herb in Charter-woods

60 Will twine you an' the bairn."

She's taen her mantle her about,

Her coiffer by the band;

And she is on to Charter-woods,

As fast as she coud gang.

65 She hadna poud a rose, a rose,

Nor braken a branch but ane,

Till by it came him, Tam-a-Line,

Says, "Ladye, lat alane."

"O! why pou ye the pile, Margaret,

70 The pile o' the gravil green,

For to destroy the bonny bairn

That we got us between?

"O! why pou ye the pile, Margaret,

The pile o' the gravil gray,

75 For to destroy the bonny bairn

That we got in our play?

"For if it be a knave bairn,

He's heir o' a' my land;

But if it be a lass bairn,

80 In red gowd she shall gang."

"If my luve were an earthly man,

As he's an elfin grey,

I coud gang bound, luve, for your sake,

A twalmonth and a day."

85 "Indeed your luve's an earthly man,

The same as well as thee;

And lang I've haunted Charter-woods,

A' for your fair bodie."

"O! tell me, tell me, Tam-a-Line,

90 O! tell, an' tell me true;

Tell me this nicht, an' mak' nae lee,

What pedigree are you?"

"O! I hae been at gude church-door,

An' I've got christendom;

95 I'm the Earl o' Forbes' eldest son,

An' heir ower a' his land.

"When I was young, o' three years old,

Muckle was made o' me;

My stepmither put on my claithes,

100 An' ill, ill, sained she me.

"Ae fatal morning I gaed out,

Dreading nae injurie;

And thinking lang, fell soun asleep,

Beneath an apple tree.

105 "Then by it came the Elfin Queen,

And laid her hand on me;

And from that time since e'er I mind,

I've been in her companie.

"O Elfin it's a bonny place,

110 In it fain wad I dwell;

But aye at ilka seven years' end,

They pay a tiend to hell,

And I'm sae fou o' flesh an blude,

I'm sair fear'd for mysell."

115 "O tell me, tell me, Tam-a-Line,

O tell, an' tell me true;

Tell me this nicht, an' mak' nae lee,

What way I'll borrow you?"

"The morn is Hallowe'en nicht,

120 The Elfin court will ride,

Through England, and thro' a' Scotland,

And through the warld wide.

"O they begin at sky sett in,

Ride a' the evenin' tide;

125 And she that will her true love borrow,

At Miles-cross will him bide.

"Ye'll do ye down to Miles-cross,

Between twall hours and ane;

And full your hands o' holie water,

130 And cast your compass roun'.

"Then the first ane court that comes you till,

Is published king and queen;

The neist ane court that comes you till,

It is maidens mony ane.

135 "The neist ane court that comes you till,

Is footmen, grooms, and squires;

The neist ane court that comes you till,

Is knichts; and I'll be there.

"I Tam-a-Line, on milk-white steed,

140 A gowd star on my crown;

Because I was an earthly knicht,

Got that for a renown.

"And out at my steed's right nostril,

He'll breathe a fiery flame;

145 Ye'll loot you low, and sain yoursel,

And ye'll be busy then.

"Ye'll tak' my horse then by the head,

And lat the bridal fa';

The Queen o' Elfin she'll cry out,

150 'True Tam-a-Line's awa'.

"Then I'll appear into your arms

Like the wolf that ne'er wad tame;

Ye'll haud me fast, lat me not gae,

Case we ne'er meet again.

155 "Then I'll appear into your arms

Like fire that burns sae bauld;

Ye'll haud me fast, lat me not gae,

I'll be as iron cauld.

"Then I'll appear into your arms

160 Like the adder an' the snake;

Ye'll haud me fast, lat me not gae,

I am your warld's maike.

"Then I'll appear into your arms

Like to the deer sae wild;

165 Ye'll haud me fast, lat me not gae,

And I'll father your child.

"And I'll appear into your arms

Like to a silken string;

Ye'll haud me fast, lat me not gae,

170 Till ye see the fair mornin'.

"And I'll appear into your arms

Like to a naked man;

Ye'll haud me fast, lat me not gae,

And wi' you I'll gae hame."

175 Then she has done her to Miles-cross,

Between twal hours an' ane;

And filled her hands o' holie water,

And kiest her compass roun'.

The first ane court that came her till,

180 Was published king and queen;

The niest ane court that came her till,

Was maidens mony ane.

The niest ane court that came her till,

Was footmen, grooms, and squires;

185 The niest ane court that came her till,

Was knichts; and he was there!

True Tam-a-Line, on milk-white steed,

A gowd star on his crown;

Because he was an earthly man,

190 Got that for a renown.

And out at the steed's right nostril,

He breath'd a fiery flame;

She loots her low, an' sains hersel,

And she was busy then.

195 She's taen the horse then by the head,

And loot the bridle fa';

The Queen o' Elfin she cried out—

"True Tam-a-Line's awa'."

"Stay still, true Tam-a-Line," she says,

200 "Till I pay you your fee;"

"His father wants not lands nor rents,

He'll ask nae fee frae thee."

"Gin I had kent yestreen, yestreen,

What I ken weel the day,

205 I shou'd hae taen your fu' fause heart,

Gien you a heart o' clay."

Then he appeared into her arms

Like the wolf that ne'er wad tame;

She held him fast, lat him not gae,

210 Case they ne'er met again.

Then he appeared into her arms

Like the fire burning bauld;

She held him fast, lat him not gae,

He was as iron cauld.

215 And he appeared into her arms

Like the adder an' the snake;

She held him fast, lat him not gae,

He was her warld's maike.

And he appeared into her arms

220 Like to the deer sae wild;

She held him fast, lat him not gae,

He's father o' her child.

And he appeared into her arms

Like to a silken string;

225 She held him fast, lat him not gae,

Till she saw fair mornin'.

And he appeared into her arms

Like to a naked man;

She held him fast, lat him not gae,

230 And wi' her he's gane hame.

These news hae reach'd thro' a' Scotland,

And far ayont the Tay,

That ladye Margaret, our king's dochter,

That nicht had gain'd her prey.

235 She borrowed her love at mirk midnicht,

Bare her young son ere day;

And though ye'd search the warld wide,

Ye'll nae find sic a may.