Читать книгу Story-Telling Ballads - Various - Страница 24
ОглавлениеPART I
Listen, now, both great and simple,
Whilst I croon to you my song,
Ere such another damsel ’pears,
The world will cease to wag ere long:
For she is the flower o’er all the bower,
My blessings on Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy!
Her father lay long in the Embro jail,
Wearing fast to his end,
For his head must be swept clean from his shoulders,
When the warrant the King shall send;
Singing “Woes me!” wi’ the tear in her e’e,
Did Cochrane’s bonny daughter mourn!
She kissed her father’s lyart locks,
Unkempt for many a day,
And she said, “To save my father’s life,
I aiblins ken a way:
Give me thy love, that I fortune prove?”
Quo’ Cochrane’s bonny daughter!
She rode away thro’ the stragglling town,
Of beggart Hadingtown,
Syne by Dunbar, thro’ Coppersmith,
Till to Berwick she has come:
And she rapped right loud on the barred gates,
Did Cochrane’s bonny daughter!
She slept all night and she rose betimes,
And crossed the long bridge of the Tweed;
And over the moor at Tweedmouth brae,
Sore draggit was her woman’s weed;
And lightin’ down by Haggerston Shaws,
Did Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy!
A cloak she drew from her saddlebag,
With trunks and a doublet fair;
She cut off with a folding knife,
Her long and raven hair;
And she dressed herself in laddie’s clothes,
Did Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy!
The horseman rode into Belford town,
Who carried the London mail,
Bold Grizzy she sought the hostel out,
And there with a couthy tale,
Forgathered with the London Post,
Did Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy!
She roared the loudest of them a’,
Quo’ the fellow, “My canty chiel,
Deil blaw my pipes! yere the crack o’ the wa’,
And the best amang the hail!”
In the dead of night did they go to their beds,
And so did Cochrane’s daughter!
She rose over the bed ere the second cock,
Went jimply along the floor;
She’s stown her father’s death warrant,
Whilst the lubber loud did snore.
She’s gained the hills ere the hue and cry
They raised on Cochrane’s daughter!
PART II
But the King can write another brief,
For all the first be stown;
And once again the fellow rode,
With the warrant from London town.
Now out and alas! What can she do?
For the heart of Grizzy sank!
The red sun went down o’er the sea,
And the wind blew stiff and snell,
And as it shot by Grizzy’s lugs,
It sounded old Cochrane’s knell.
“But downa despair, ’tis a kittle carle!”
Said Cochrane’s Bonny daughter!
The larch and the tall fir shrieked with pain,
As they bent before the wind,
And down there fell the heavy rain,
Till sense and eyes were blind;
“A lang night ’tis ne’er sees a day,”
Quo’ Cochrane’s undaunted Grizzy!
The Warlocks are dancing threesome reels,
On Goswick’s haunted links,
The red fire shoots by Ladythorne,
And Tam wi’ the Lanthorne falls and sinks.
On Kyloe’s hills there’s awful sounds,
But they frighted not Cochrane’s Grizzy!
The moon beams shot from the troubled sky,
In glints of flickering light,
The horseman came skelping thro’ the mire,
For his mind was in affright:
His pistol cocked he held in his hand,
But the sient a fear had Grizzy!
As he came fornents the Fenwicke woods,
From the whin-bushes shot out a flame;
His dappled filly reared up in affright,
And backward over he came;
There’s a hand on his craig, and a foot on his mouth,
’Twas Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy!
“I will not take thy life,” she said,
“But give me thy London news;
No blood of thine shall syle my blad,
Gin me ye dinna refuse:”
She’s prie’d the warrant, and away she flew,
With the speed and strength of the wild curlew!
Love will make a foe grow kind,
Love will bring blossom where bud is naught.
Love hath softened a kingly mind,
Grizzy hath mercy to councillors taught.
Her friends at Court have prieven the life
O’ Grizzy’s banished father!
She’s wedded unto a German Knight,
Her bairnies blithe with her sire remain,
She’s cast the laddie’s clouts away,
And her raven hair is growing again.
What think ye, gentles o’ every degree,
Of Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy?
(Englished)
