E

1 Lord Thomas he was a bold forrester,
And a chaser of the king's deer;
Faire Ellinor was a fair woman,
And Lord Thomas he loved her dear.

2 'Come riddle my riddle, dear mother,' he said,
'And riddle us both as one,
Whether I shall marry Fair Ellinor,
And let the brown girl alone.'

3 'The brown girl she has got houses and lands,
And Fair Ellinor she has got none;
Therefore I charge you on my blessing
To bring me the brown girl home.'

4 And as it befell on a high holidaye,
As many did more beside,
Lord Thomas he went to Fair Ellinor,
That should have been his bride.

5 But when he came to Fair Ellinor's bower,
He knocked there at the ring;
But who was so ready as Fair Ellinor
For to let Lord Thomas in.

6 'What news, what news, Lord Thomas,' she said,
'What news hast thou brought unto me?'
'I am come to bid thee to my wedding,
And that is bad news to thee.'

7 'Oh God forbid, Lord Thomas,' she said,
'That such a thing should be done;
I thought to have been thy bride my own self,
And you to have been the brid's-groom.

8 'Come riddle my riddle, dear mother,' she sayd,
'And riddle it all in one;
Whether I shall go to Lord Thomas's wedding,
Or whether I shall tarry at home.'

9 'There's many that are your friends, daughter,
And many that are your fo;
Therefore I charge you on my blessing,
To Lord Thomas's wedding don't go.'

10 'There's many that are my friends, mother,
If a thousand more were my foe,
Betide my life, betide my death,
To Lord Thomas's wedding I'le go.'

11 She cloathed herself in gallant attyre,
And her merry men all in green,
And as they rid thorough everye towne,
They took her to have been a queene.

12 But when she came to Lord Thomas's gate,
She knocked there at the ring;
But who was so ready as Lord Thomas
To lett Fair Ellinor in.

13 'Is this your bride?' Fair Ellin she sayd,
'Methinks she looks wondrous browne;
Thou mightest have had as fair a woman
As ever trod on the ground.'

14 'Despise her not, Fair Ellin,' he sayd,
'Despise her not now unto mee;
For better I love thy little finger
Than all her whole body.'

15 This browne bride had a little penknife,
That was both long and sharp,
And betwixt the short ribs and the long
Prickd Fair Ellinor to the heart.

16 'Oh Christ now save thee,' Lord Thomas he said,
'Methinks thou lookst wondrous wan;
Thou wast usd for to look with as fresh a colour
As ever the sun shin'd on.'

17 'Oh art thou blind, Lord Thomas?' she sayd,
'Or canst thou not very well see?
Oh dost thou not see my own heart's blood
Runs trickling down my knee?'

18 Lord Thomas he had a sword by his side,
As he walked about the hall;
He cut off his bride's head from her shoulders,
And he threw it against the wall.

19 He set the hilte against the ground,
And the point against his heart;
There was never three lovers that ever met
More sooner they did depart.

1 Sweet Willie and Fair Annie
Sat a' day on a hill,
And though they had sitten seven year,
They neer wad had their fill.

2 Sweet Willie said a word in haste,
And Annie took it ill:
'I winna wed a tocherless maid,
Against my parents' will.'

3 'Ye're come o the rich, Willie,
And I'm come o the poor;
I'm oer laigh to be your bride,
And I winna be your whore.'

4 O Annie she's gane till her bower,
And Willie down the den,
And he's come till his mither's bower,
By the lei light o the moon.

5 'O sleep ye, wake ye, mither?' he says,
'Or are ye the bower within?'
'I sleep richt aft, I wake richt aft;
What want ye wi me, son?

6 'Whare hae ye been a' night, Willie?
O wow, ye've tarried lang!'
'I have been courtin Fair Annie,
And she is frae me gane.

7 'There is twa maidens in a bower;
Which o them sall I bring hame?
The nut-brown maid has sheep and cows,
And Fair Annie has nane.'

8 'It's an ye wed the nut-brown maid,
I'll heap gold wi my hand;
But an ye wed her Fair Annie,
I'll straik it wi a wand.

9 'The nut-brown maid has sheep and cows,
And Fair Annie has nane;
And Willie, for my benison,
The nut-brown maid bring hame.'

10 'O I sall wed the nut-brown maid,
And I sall bring her hame;
But peace nor rest between us twa,
Till death sinder's again.

11 'But, alas, alas!' says Sweet Willie,
'O fair is Annie's face!'
'But what's the matter, my son Willie?
She has nae ither grace.'

12 'Alas, alas!' says Sweet Willie,
'But white is Annie's hand!'
'But what's the matter, my son Willie?
She hasna a fur o land.'

13 'Sheep will die in cots, mither,
And owsen die in byre;
And what's this warld's wealth to me,
An I get na my heart's desire?

14 'Whare will I get a bonny boy,
That wad fain win hose and shoon,
That will rin to Fair Annie's bower,
Wi the lei light o the moon?

15 'Ye'll tell her to come to Willie's weddin,
The morn at twal at noon;
Ye'll tell her to come to Willie's weddin,
The heir o Duplin town.

16 'She manna put on the black, the black,
Nor yet the dowie brown,
But the scarlet sae red, and the kerches sae white,
And her bonny locks hangin down.'

17 He is on to Annie's bower,
And tirled at the pin,
And wha was sae ready as Annie hersel
To open and let him in.

18 'Ye are bidden come to Willie's weddin,
The morn at twal at noon;
Ye are bidden come to Willie's weddin,
The heir of Duplin town.

19 'Ye manna put on the black, the black,
Nor yet the dowie brown,
But the scarlet sae red, and the kerches sae white,
And your bonny locks hangin down.'

20 'It's I will come to Willie's weddin,
The morn at twal at noon;
It's I will come to Willie's weddin,
But I rather the mass had been mine.

21 'Maidens, to my bower come,
And lay gold on my hair;
And whare ye laid ae plait before,
Ye'll now lay ten times mair.

22 'Taylors, to my bower come,
And mak to me a weed;
And smiths, unto my stable come,
And shoe to me a steed.'

23 At every tate o Annie's horse mane
There hang a silver bell,
And there came a wind out frae the south,
Which made them a' to knell.

24 And whan she came to Mary-kirk,
And sat down in the deas,
The light that came frae Fair Annie
Enlightend a' the place.

25 But up and stands the nut-brown bride,
Just at her father's knee:
'O wha is this, my father dear,
That blinks in Willie's ee?'
'O this is Willie's first true-love,
Before he loved thee.'

26 'If that be Willie's first true-love,
He might hae latten me be;
She has as much gold on ae finger
As I'll wear till I die.

27 'O whare got ye that water, Annie,
That washes you sae white?'
'I got it in my mither's wambe,
Whare ye'll neer get the like.

28 'For ye've been washd in Dunny's well,
And dried on Dunny's dyke,
And a' the water in the sea
Will never wash ye white.'

29 Willie's taen a rose out o his hat,
Laid it in Annie's lap:
. . . . . . .
'Hae, wear it for my sake.'

30 'Tak up and wear your rose, Willie,
And wear't wi mickle care;
For the woman sall never bear a son
That will make my heart sae sair.'

31 Whan night was come, and day was gane,
And a' man boun to bed,
Sweet Willie and the nut-brown bride
In their chamber were laid.

32 They werena weel lyen down,
And scarcely fa'n asleep,
Whan up and stands she Fair Annie,
Just up at Willie's feet.

33 'Weel brook ye o your brown, brown bride,
Between ye and the wa;
And sae will I o my winding sheet,
That suits me best ava.

34 'Weel brook ye o your brown, brown bride,
Between ye and the stock;
And sae will I o my black, black kist,
That has neither key nor lock.'

35 Sad Willie raise, put on his claise,
Drew till him his hose and shoon,
And he is on to Annie's bower,
By the lei light o the moon.

36 The firsten bower that he came till,
There was right dowie wark;
Her mither and her three sisters
Were makin to Annie a sark.

37 The nexten bower that he came till,
There was right dowie cheir;
Her father and her seven brethren
Were makin to Annie a bier.

38 The lasten bower that he came till,
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
And Fair Annie streekit there.

39 He's lifted up the coverlet,
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .

40 'It's I will kiss your bonny cheek,
And I will kiss your chin,
And I will kiss your clay-cald lip,
But I'll never kiss woman again.

41 'The day ye deal at Annie's burial
The bread but and the wine;
Before the morn at twall o'clock,
They'll deal the same at mine.'

42 The tane was buried in Mary's kirk,
The tither in Mary's quire,
And out o the tane there grew a birk,
And out o the tither a brier.

43 And ay they grew, and ay they drew,
Untill they twa did meet,
And every ane that past them by
Said, Thae's been lovers sweet!

1 Sweet Willie and Fair Annie,
As they sat on yon hill,
If they hed sat frae morn till even,
They hed no talked their fill.

* * * * *

2 Willie's dune him hame again,
As fast as gang could he:
'An askin, an askin, my mother,
And I pray ye'll grant it me.

3 'Oh will I merry the nut-brown maid,
Wi her oxen and her kye?
Or will I merry my Fair Annie,
That hes my heart for aye?'

4 'Oh if ye merry your Fair Annie,
Your mither's malison you'll wun;
But if ye merry the nut-brown may,
Ye will get her blessin.'

5 'Oh voe's me, mother,' Willie said,
'For Annie's bonny face!'
'Little metter o that, my son Willie,
When Annie hesna grace.'

6 'Oh voe's me, mither,' Willie said,
'For Annie's bonny han!'
'And what's the metter, son Willie,
When Annie hesna lan?

7 'But ye will merry the nut-brown may,
Wi her oxen and her kye;
But ye will merry the nut-brown may,
For she hes my hert for aye.'

8 Out and spak his sister Jane,
Where she sat be the fire:
'What's the metter, brother Willie?
Tack ye your heart's desire.

9 'The oxen may die into the pleuch,
The cow drown i the myre;
And what's the metter, brother Willie?
Tak ye your heart's desire.'

10 'Whare will I get a bonny boy,
That will wun hose and shune,
That will run on to Anny's bower,
And come right sune again?'

11 'Ye'll bid her come to Willie's weddin,
The morn is the day;
Ye'll bid her come to Willie's weddin,
And no make no delay.

12 'Ye'll forbid her to put on the black, the black,
Or yet the dowie brown;
But the white silk and the reed skarlet,
That will shine frae town to town.'

13 He is on to Anie's bower,
And tirled at the pin,
And wha was sae ready as Annie hersel
To let the ladie in.

14 'Ye'r bidden to come to Willie's weddin,
The morn is the day;
Ye'r bidden come to Willie's weddin,
And no mack no delay.

15 'Ye'r forbidden to put on the black, the black,
Or yet the dowie brown;
But the white silk and the red scarlet,
That will shine frae town to town.

16 'Ye'r forbidden to put on the black, the black,
Or yet the dowie gray;
But the white silk and the red scarlet,
That will shine frae brae to brae.'

17 'It's I will come to Willie's weddin,
Gif the morn be the day;
It's I will come to Willie's weddin,
And no mack no delay.'

18 Annie's steed was silver shod,
And golden graithed behin;
At every teet o her horse mane
A silver bell did ring.

19 When Annie was in her sadle set,
She glanced like the moon;
There was as much gould abov her brow
Would buy an earldom.

20 When Annie was on her sadel set,
She glanced like the fire;
There was as much gould above her brow
Was worth a yearl's hire.

21 Annie gaed in the heigh, heigh hill,
And Willie the dowie glen;
Annie alane shone brighter
Than Willie and a' his men.

22 'Oh wha is that, my ane Willie,
That glances in your ee?'
'Oh it is Annie, my first fore love,
Come till see you and me.'

23 'Oh far got ye that water, Annie,
That washes ye so wan?'
'Oh I got it aneth yon marble stane,
Where ye will nere get nane.

24 'Ye've been brunt sare anent the sun,
And rocket i the reek;
And tho ye wad wash till doom's day,
Ye wad never be so white.'

25 'If this be Annie, your first fore love,
Come our weddin to see,
She has by far owr brent a brow
To lat ye bide by me.'

26 When bells were rung, and mass was sung,
And a' men bun to bed,
Sweet Willie and his nut-brown bride
In ae chamber were laid.

27 The hedna weel layn down, layn down,
But nor hed fallen asleep,
When up and started Fair Annie,
And stud at Willie's feet.

28 'Vo be to you, nut-brown bride,
Wi yer oxen and your sheep!
It is Annie, my first fore love,
And I fear sair she is dead.

29 'Vo be te you, nut-brown bride,
An ill death you betide!
For you've parted me and my first fore love,
And I fear death is her guide.

30 'You'll seddle to me the black, the black,
You'll seddle to me the brown,
Till I ride on to Annie's bower
And see how she is bune.'

31 When he came to Fair Annie's bower,
And lighted and gaed in,
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .

32 Her father was at her heed, her heed,
Her mother at her feet,
Her sister she was at her side,
Puttin on her winding sheet.

33 'It's kiss will I yer cheek, Annie,
And kiss will I your chin,
And I will kiss your wan, wan lips,
Tho there be no breath within.

34 'Ye birl, ye birle at my luve's wake
The white bread and the wine,
And or the morn at this same time
Ye'll birle the same at mine.'

35 They birled, they birled at Annies wake
The white bread and the wine,
And ere the morn at that same time
At his they birled the same.

36 The one was buried at Mary's kirk,
The other at Mary's quire,
And throw the one there sprang a birk,
And throw the other a brier.

37 And ay at every year's ane
They grew them near and near
And every one that passed them by
Said, They be lovers dear.

1 Sweet Willie and Fair Annë,
They sat on yon hill,
And frae the morning till night
This twa neer talked their fill.

2 Willie spak a word in jest,
And Annë took it ill:
'We's court na mare maidens,
Against our parents' will.'

3 'It's na against our parents' will,'
Fair Annie she did say,
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .

4 Willie is hame to his bower,
To his book all alane,
And Fair Annie is to her bower,
To her book and her seam.

5 Sweet Willie is to his mother dear,
Fell low down on his knee:
'An asking, my mother dear,
And ye grant it to me;
O will I marry the nut-brown may,
An lat Fair Annie gae?'

6 'The nut-brown may has ousen, Willie,
The nut-brown may has key;
An ye will winn my blessing, Willie,
And latt Fair Annie be.'

7 He did him to his father dear,
Fell low down on his knee:
'An asking, my father,
An ye man grant it me.'

8 'Ask on, my ae son Willie,
Ye'r sur yer askin's free;
Except it is to marry her Fair Annie,
And that manna be.'

9 Out spak his little sister,
As she [sat] by the fire:
'The ox-leg will brack in the plough,
And the cow will drown in the mire.

10 'An Willie will ha nathing
But the dam to sitt by the fire;
Fair Annie will sit in her beagly bower,
An winn a earl's hire.'

11 'Fair faa ye, my little sister,
A guid dead mat ye die!
An ever I hae goud,
Well tochered sall ye be.'

12 He's awa to Fair Annie,
As fast as gan could he:
'O will ye come to my marriage?
The morn it is to be.'

13 'O I will come to yer marriage,
The morn, gin I can win.'
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .

14 Annie did her to her father dear,
Fell low down on her knee:
'An askin, my father,
And ye man grant it me;
Lat me to Sweet Willie's marriage,
The morn it is to be.'

15 'Yer horse sall be siller shod afore,
An guid red goud ahin,
An bells in his mane,
To ring against the win.'

16 She did her to her mother dear,
Fell low down on her knee:
'Will ye lat me to Willie's marriage?
The morn it is to be;'
'I'll lat ye to Willie's marriage,
An we the morn see.'

17 Whan Annie was in her saddle set
She flam'd against the fire;
The girdle about her sma middle
Wad a won an earl's hire.

18 Whan they came to Mary kirk,
And on to Mary quire,
'O far gat ye that watter, Ann,
That washes ye sae clear?'

19 'I got it in my father's garden,
Aneth a marbell stane;
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .

20 'O whar gat ye that water, Annie,
That washes ye sae fite?'
'I gat it in my mother's womb,
Whar ye['s] never get the like.

21 'For ye ha been christned wi moss-water,
An roked in the reak,
An ser brunt in yer mither's womb,
For I think ye'll neer be fite.'

22 The nut-brown bride pat her hand in
... at Annie['s] left ear,
And gin her ...
A deep wound and a sare.

23 Than. . Annie ged on her horse back,
An fast away did ride,
But lang or cock's crowing,
Fair Annie was dead.

24 Whan bells were rung, and mess was sung,
An a' man boun to bed,
Sweet Willie and the nut-brown bride
In a chamber were laid.

25 But up und wakend him Sweet Willie
Out of his dreary dream:
'I dreamed a dream this night,
God read a' dream to guid!

26 'That Fair Annies bowr was full of gentlemen,
An herself was dead;
But I will on to Fair Annie,
An si't if it be guid.'

27 Seven lang mile or he came near,
He heard a dolefull chear,
Her father and her seven brithern,
Walking at her bier;
The half of it guid red goud,
The other silver clear.

28 'Ye deal at my love's leak
The white bread an the wine;
But on the morn at this time
Ye's dee the like at mine.'

29 The ane was buried at Mary kirk,
The ither at Mary quire;
Out of the ane grew a birk,
Out of the ither a briar.

30 An aye the langer that they grew,
They came the ither near,
An by that ye might a well kent
They were twa lovers dear.

1 Fair Annie and Sweet Willie,
As they talked on yon hill,
Though they had talked a lang summer day,
They wad na hae talked their fill.

2 'If you would be a good woman, Annie,
An low leave a' your pride,
In spite of a' my friends, Annie,
I wad mak you my bride.'

3 'Thick, thick lie your lands, Willie,
An thin, thin lie mine;
An little wad a' your friends think
O sic a kin as mine.

4 'Thick, thick lie your lands, Willie,
Down by the coving-tree;
An little wad a' your friends think
O sic a bride as me.

5 'O Fair Annie, O Fair Annie,
This nicht ye've said me no;
But lang or ever this day month
I'll make your heart as sore.'

6 It's Willie he went home that night,
An a sick man lay he down;
An ben came Willie's auld mither,
An for nae gude she came.

* * * * *

7 'It's if ye marry Fair Annie,
My malison ye's hae;
But if ye marry the nut-brown may,
My blessin an ye's hae.'

8 'Mother, for your malison,
An mother, for your wis,
It's I will marry the nut-brown may,
. . . . . . .

9 . . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
It's up an spak his sister,
. . . . . . .

10 'The owsen may hang in the pleugh,
The kye drown in the myre,
An he'll hae naething but a dirty drab
To sit doun by the fire.'

* * * * *

11 'Where will I get a bonny boy,
That will win hose and shoon,
That will rin on to Annie's bower,
An haste him back again?'

12 'It's I have run your errands, Willie,
An happy hae I been;
It's I will rin your errands, Willie,
Wi the saut tears in my een.'

13 'When ye come to Annie's bower,
She will be at her dine;
And bid her come to Willie's weddin,
On Monday in good time.

14 'Tell her neither to put on the dowie black,
Nor yet the mournfu brown,
But the gowd sae reed, and the silver white,
An her hair weel combed down.

15 'Tell her to get a tailor to her bower,
To shape for her a weed,
And a smith to her smithy,
To shoe for her a steed.

16 'To be shod wi silver clear afore,
An gold graithed behind,
An every foot the foal sets down,
The gold lie on the ground.'

17 It's when he came to Annie's bower,
It's she was at her dine:
'Ye're bidden come to Willie's weddin,
On Monday in good time.

18 'You're neither to put on the dowie black,
Nor get the mournfu brown,
But the gowd sae reid, an the silver white,
An yere hair well combed doun.

19 'You're to get a tailor to your bower,
To shape for you a weed,
And likewise a smith to your smithy,
To shoe for you a steed.

20 'To be shod with silver clear afore,
An gold graithed behind,
An every foot the foal sets down,
The gold lie on the ground.'

21 'It's I will come to Willie's weddin,
I rather it had been mine;
It's I will come to Willie's weddin,
On Monday in good time.

22 'It's I'll send to Willie a toweld silk,
To hing below his knee.
An ilka time he looks on it,
He'll hae gude mind o me.

* * * * *

23 'An askin, father, an askin,
An I hope you will grant me;
For it is the last askin
That ever I'll ask of thee.'

24 'Ask me, Annie, gold,' he said,
'An ask me, Annie, fee,
But dinna ask me Sweet Willie,
Your bedfellow to be.'

25 'It's I will ask you gold, father,
Sae will I ask you fee,
But I needna ask you Sweet Willie,
My bedfellow to be.

26 'For I am bidden to Willie's weddin,
On Monday in good time,
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .

* * * * *

27 On every tait o her horse's mane
A siller bell did hing,
An on every tait o her horse's tail
A golden bell did ring.

28 Twal and twal rade her afore,
An twal an twal ahind,
An twal an twal on every side,
To hold her frae the wind.

29 Fair Annie shined mair on the top o the hill
Than Willie did in the glen;
Fair Annie shined mair on the heid o the hill
Than Willie wi a' his men.

30 Whan she came to Mary's kirk,
She lighted on the stane;
An when she came to the kirk-door,
She bade the bride gae in.

31 'Clear, clear is your day, Willie,
But brown, brown is your bride;
Clear, clear is her lawn curches,
But weel dunned is her hide.'

32 'Where got ye yon water, Annie,
That has made you so white?'
'I got it in my father's garden,
Below yon hollan dyke.

33 'But ye hae been washed i the moss water,
An rocked in the reek;
Ye hae been brunt in your mither's wame,
An ye will neer be white.'

34 'Whatna fool were ye, Willie,
To lay your love on me;
She's mair gowd on her heid this day
Than I'll wear till I die!'

35 'I've laid nae love on you, brown may,
I've laid nae love on you;
I've mair love for Fair Annie this day
Than I'll hae for you till I dee.'

* * * * *

36 'If you will neither eat nor drink,
You'll see good game an play;'
But she turned her horse head to the hill,
An swift she rode away.

* * * * *

37 When they were all at supper set,
. . . . . . .
Till he went to Fair Annie's bower,
By the ley licht o the mune.

38 An when he came to Annie's bower,
Annie was lying deid,
An seven o Annie's sisters an sisters' bairns
Were sewing at Annie's weed.

39 'It's I will take your hand, Annie,
Since ye wald neer take mine;
The woman shall never have the hand
That I'll touch after thine.

40 'An I will kiss your mouth, Annie,
Since ye will never kiss mine;
The woman shall never have the lips
That I'll kiss after thine.

* * * * *

41 . . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
'As much breid ye deal at Annie's dairgie
Tomorrow ye's deal at mine.'