Читать книгу Come Hither: A Collection of Rhymes and Poems for the Young of All Ages - Various - Страница 98

Gilderoy was a bonnie boy,

Had roses tull[62] his shoone,

His stockings were of silken soy,

Wi' garters hanging doune:

It was, I weene, a comelie sight,

To see sae trim a boy;

He was my joy and heart's delight,

My handsome Gilderoy.

Oh! sike twe[63] charming een he had,

A breath as sweet as rose;

He never ware a Highland plaid,

But costly silken clothes.

He gained the luve of ladies gay,

Nane eir tull him was coy,

Ah! wae is mee! I mourn the day,

For my dear Gilderoy.

My Gilderoy and I were born

Baith in one toun together;

We scant[64] were seven years beforn

We gan to luve each other;

Our daddies and our mammies thay

Were fill'd wi' mickle joy,

To think upon the bridal day

'Twixt me and Gilderoy.

For Gilderoy, that luve of mine,

Gude faith! I freely bought

A wedding sark of Holland fine

Wi' silken flowers wrought:

And he gied me a wedding ring,

Which I received with joy,

Nae lad nor lassie eir could sing

Like me and Gilderoy.

Wi' mickle joy we spent our prime,

Till we were baith sixteen,

And aft we past the langsome time

Among the leaves sae green:

Aft on the banks we'd sit us thair,

And sweetly kiss and toy;

Wi' garlands gay wad deck my hair

My handsome Gilderoy.

Oh! that he still had been content

Wi' me to lead his life;

But, ah! his manfu' heart was bent

To stir in feats of strife.

And he in many a venturous deed

His courage bauld wad try;

And now this gars[65] mine heart to bleed

For my dear Gilderoy.

And when of me his leave he tuik,

The tears they wet mine ee;

I gave tull him a parting luik,

"My benison gang wi' thee!

God speed thee weil, mine ain dear heart,

For gane is all my joy;

My heart is rent, sith we maun part,

My handsome Gilderoy!"

My Gilderoy, baith far and near,

Was feared in ev'ry toun,

And bauldly bare away the gear

Of many a lawland loun:

Nane eir durst meet him man to man,

He was sae brave a boy;

At length wi' numbers he was tane,

My winsome Gilderoy.

Wae worth the loun that made the laws,

To hang a man for gear,

To 'reave of life for ox or ass,

For sheep, or horse, or mare:

Had not their laws been made sae strick,

I neir had lost my joy;

Wi' sorrow neir had wat my cheek

For my dear Gilderoy.

Giff[66] Gilderoy had done amisse,

He mought hae banisht been,

Ah, what fair cruelty is this,

To hang sike handsome men!

To hang the flower o' Scottish land,

Sae sweet and fair a boy;

Nae lady had so white a hand

As thee, my Gilderoy.

Of Gilderoy sae fraid they were,

They bound him mickle strong,

Tull Edenburrow they led him thair,

And on a gallows hung:

They hung him high aboon the rest,

He was so trim a boy:

Thair dyed the youth whom I lued best,

My handsome Gilderoy.

Thus having yielded up his breath,

I bare his corpse away;

Wi' tears, that trickled for his death,

I washt his comely clay;

And siker[67] in a grave sae deep

I laid the dear-lued boy,

And now for evir maun I weep

My winsome Gilderoy.