Читать книгу The Oxford Book of Ballads - Various Authors - Страница 12
ОглавлениеI
Sweet Willy’s ta’en him o’er the faem,
He’s woo’d a wife and brought her hame.
II
He’s woo’d her for her yellow hair,
But his mither wrought her mickle care;
IV
But in her bower she sits wi’ pain,
And Willy mourns o’er her in vain.
V
And to his mither he has gane;
That vile rank witch of vilest kind.
VI
He says: ‘My ladie has a cup
Wi’ gowd and silver set about.
VII
‘This goodlie gift shall be your ain,
And let her be lighter o’ her young bairn.’—
VIII
‘Of her young bairn she’ll ne’er be lighter,
Nor in her bower to shine the brighter:
IX
‘But she shall die and turn to clay,
And you shall wed another may.’—
X
‘Another may I’ll marry nane,
Another may I’ll ne’er bring hame.’
XI
But sighing says his bonnie wife,
‘I wish this was an end o’ my life!
XII
‘Yet gae ye unto your mither again,
That vile rank witch of vilest kind.
XIII
‘And say: My ladie has a steed,
The like o’ him ’s no in the lands of Leed.
XV
‘This goodlie gift shall be your ain,
And let her be lighter o’ her young bairn.’—
XVI
‘O’ her young bairn she’ll ne’er be lighter,
Nor in her bower to shine the brighter;
XVII
‘But she shall die and turn to clay,
And ye shall wed another may.’—
XVIII
‘Another may I’ll marry nane,
Another may I’ll ne’er bring hame.’
XIX
But sighing says his bonnie wife,
‘I wish this was an end o’ my life!
XX
‘Yet gae ye unto your mither again,
That vile rank witch of vilest kind:
XXI
‘And say: My ladie has a girdle,
It’s a’ red gowd unto the middle.
XXII
‘And ay at every silver hem
Hangs fifty silver bells and ten.
XXIII
‘That goodlie gift shall be your ain,
But let her be lighter o’ her young bairn.’—
XXIV
‘O’ her young bairn she’s ne’er be lighter,
Nor in her bower to shine the brighter:
XXV
‘But she shall die and turn to clay,
And you shall wed another may.’—
XXVI
‘Another may I’ll never wed nane,
Another may I’ll never bring hame.’
XXVII
But sighing says his bonnie wife,
‘I wish this was an end o’ my life!’
XXIX
‘Ye doe ye to the market-place,
And there buy ye a loaf o’ wax;
XXXI
‘And do ye to your mither then,
And bid her come to your boy’s christ’nen,
XXXII
‘For dear’s the boy he’s been to you:
Then notice weel what she shall do:
XXXIII
‘And do you stand a little away,
And listen weel what she shall say.’
XXXIV
He did him to the market-place,
And there he bought a loaf o’ wax.
XXXVI
He did him till his mither then,
And bade her to his boy’s christ’nen.
XXXVIII
‘O wha has loosed the nine witch-knots
That was among that ladie’s locks?
XL
‘And wha’s ta’en down the bush o’ woodbine
That hangs atween her bower and mine?
XLI
‘And wha has kill’d the master kid
That ran aneath that ladie’s bed?
XLIII
Syne Willy has loosed the nine witch-knots
That was among his ladie’s locks:
XLIV
And Willy’s ta’en out the kaims o’ care
That hang among his ladie’s hair:
XLV
And Willy’s ta’en down the bush o’ woodbine
That hang atween her bower and thine:
XLVI
And Willy has kill’d the master kid
That ran aneath his ladie’s bed:
XLVII
And Willy has loosed her left-foot shee,
And letten his ladie lighter be.
XLVIII
And now he’s gotten a bonny young son,
And mickle grace be him upon!
