B

1 'It's narrow, narrow, make your bed,
And learn to lie your lane;
For I'm ga'n oer the sea, Fair Annie,
A braw bride to bring hame.
Wi her I will get gowd and gear;
Wi you I neer got nane.

2 'But wha will bake my bridal bread,
Or brew my bridal ale?
And wha will welcome my brisk bride,
That I bring oer the dale?'

3 'It's I will bake your bridal bread,
And brew your bridal ale,
And I will welcome your brisk bride,
That you bring oer the dale.'

4 'But she that welcomes my brisk bride
Maun gang like maiden fair;
She maun lace on her robe sae jimp,
And braid her yellow hair.'

5 'But how can I gang maiden-like,
When maiden I am nane?
Have I not born seven sons to thee,
And am with child again?'

6 She's taen her young son in her arms,
Another in her hand,
And she's up to the highest tower,
To see him come to land.

7 'Come up, come up, my eldest son,
And look oer yon sea-strand,
And see your father's new-come bride,
Before she come to land.'

8 'Come down, come down, my mother dear,
Come frae the castle wa!
I fear, if langer ye stand there,
Ye'll let yoursell down fa.'

9 And she gaed down, and farther down,
Her love's ship for to see,
And the topmast and the mainmast
Shone like the silver free.

10 And she's gane down, and farther down,
The bride's ship to behold,
And the topmast and the mainmast
They shone just like the gold.

11 She's taen her seven sons in her hand,
I wot she didna fail;
She met Lord Thomas and his bride,
As they came oer the dale.

12 'You're welcome to your house, Lord Thomas,
You're welcome to your land;
You're welcome with your fair ladye,
That you lead by the hand.

13 'You're welcome to your ha's, ladye,
Your welcome to your bowers;
You're welcome to your hame, ladye,
For a' that's here is yours.'

14 'I thank thee, Annie; I thank thee, Annie,
Sae dearly as I thank thee;
You're the likest to my sister Annie,
That ever I did see.

15 'There came a knight out oer the sea,
And steald my sister away;
The shame scoup in his company,
And land whereer he gae!'

16 She hang ae napkin at the door,
Another in the ha,
And a' to wipe the trickling tears,
Sae fast as they did fa.

17 And aye she served the lang tables,
With white bread and with wine,
And aye she drank the wan water,
To had her colour fine.

18 And aye she served the lang tables,
With white bread and with brown;
And ay she turned her round about,
Sae fast the tears fell down.

19 And he's taen down the silk napkin,
Hung on a silver pin,
And aye he wipes the tear trickling
A' down her cheek and chin.

20 And aye he turn'd him round about,
And smiled amang his men;
Says, Like ye best the old ladye,
Or her that's new come hame?

21 When bells were rung, and mass was sung,
And a' men bound to bed,
Lord Thomas and his new-come bride
To their chamber they were gaed.

22 Annie made her bed a little forbye,
To hear what they might say;
'And ever alas!' Fair Annie cried,
'That I should see this day!

23 'Gin my seven sons were seven young rats,
Running on the castle wa,
And I were a grey cat mysell,
I soon would worry them a'.

24 'Gin my seven sons were seven young hares,
Running oer yon lilly lee,
And I were a grew hound mysell,
Soon worried they a' should be.'

25 And wae and sad Fair Annie sat,
And drearie was her sang,
And ever, as she sobbd and grat,
'Wae to the man that did the wrang!'

26 'My gown is on,' said the new-come bride,
'My shoes are on my feet,
And I will to Fair Annie's chamber,
And see what gars her greet.

27 'What ails ye, what ails ye, Fair Annie,
That ye make sic a moan?
Has your wine barrels cast the girds,
Or is your white bread gone?

28 'O wha was't was your father, Annie,
Or wha was't was your mother?
And had ye ony sister, Annie,
Or had ye ony brother?'

29 'The Earl of Wemyss was my father,
The Countess of Wemyss my mother;
And a' the folk about the house
To me were sister and brother.'

30 'If the Earl of Wemyss was your father,
I wot sae was he mine;
And it shall not be for lack o gowd
That ye your love sall tyne.

31 'For I have seven ships o mine ain,
A' loaded to the brim,
And I will gie them a' to thee,
Wi four to thine eldest son:
But thanks to a' the powers in heaven
That I gae maiden hame!'

1 There livd a lord on yon sea-side,
And he thought on a wile,
How he would go over the saut sea
A lady to beguile.

2 'O learn to mak your bed, Helen,
And learn to ly your lane,
For I'm gaun over the saut seas
A bright bride to bring hame.'

3 'How can I mak my bed,' she says,
'Unless I mak it wide,
Whan I have seven o your sons
To lie down by my side?

4 'And the first o your seven sons,
He rides a milk-white steed;
The second o your seven sons
He wears a milk-white weed.

5 'The third ane o your seven sons,
He draws baith ale and wine;
The fourth ane o your seven sons,
He serves you when you dine.

6 'The fifth ane o your seven sons,
He can baith read and write;
And the sixth ane o your seven sons,
He is a' your heart's delight.

7 'And the youngest o your seven sons,
He sleeps on my breast-bane;
Whan him and I ly down at night,
For him rest get I nane.'

8 'O wha will bake my bridal bread,
And brew my bridal ale?
And wha will welcome my gae lady,
That I bring oer the dale?

9 'And sin ye've taen the turn in hand,
See that ye do it right,
And ilka chimly o the house,
That they be dearly dight.'

10 O a' the day she washd and wrang,
And a' the night she buik,
And she's awa to her chamber,
To gie her young son suck.

11 'Come here, come here, my eldest son,
And see what ye may see;
For yonder comes your father dear,
Your mother-in-law side be.'

12 She's taen a cake o the best bread,
A bottle o the best wine,
And a' the keys upon her arm,
And to the yates she's gaen.

13 'Ye are welcome hame, gay lady,' she said,
'And ay ye are welcome hame;
And sae is a' the gentlewomen
That's wi you ridden and gane.

14 'You are welcome hame, gay lord' she said,
'And ay ye are welcome hame;
And sae is a' the gentlemen
That's wi you ridden and gane.'

15 She saird them up, she saird them down,
She saird them till and frae;
But when she went behind their backs,
The tear did blind her ee.

16 Whan day was gane, and night was come,
And a' man boun to bed,
The bridegroom and the bonny bride
In their chamber was laid.

17 Burd Helen and her seven sons
Lay in a bower near by;
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .

18 'If my seven sons were seven grey ratts,
To rin frae wa to wa,
And I mysel a good grey cat,
I would bite their back a-twa.

19 'If my seven sons were seven grey hares,
And them to rin a race,
And I mysel a good greyhound,
I would gie them a chace.'

20 Up and spak the bonny bride,
In chamber where she lay:
'There is a lady in this bower,
She will gae mad or day.'

21 'Lye still, lye still, my bonny bride,
Lye still and tak a sleep;
It's but ane o my wine puncheons;
Nae langer wad it keep.'

22 'King Henry was my father dear,
Queen Catherine was my mother,
Lady Anne she was my sister dear,
And Frederick was my brother.

23 'And whan I was six years of age,
They ca'd me Mary Mild;
I was stown frae my father's yate,
Whan I was but a child.'

24 Then up and spak the bonny bride,
By her lord as she lay:
'Lye down, lye down, my dear sister,
There's nae ill done for me.

25 'O seven ships conveyd me here,
And seven came oer the main;
And four o them shall stay wi you,
And three convey me hame.

26 'But when I gae hame to my father's house,
They will laugh me to scorn,
To come awa a wedded wife,
Gae hame a maid the morn.'

1 'Learn to mak your bed, honey,
And learn to lye your lane,
For I'm gaun owre the salt seas,
A fair lady to bring hame.

2 'And with her I'll get gold and gear,
With thee I neer got nane;
I took you as a waaf woman,
I leave you as the same.'

3 'What aileth thee at me, my lord,
What aileth thee at me,
When seven bonnie sons I have born,
All of your fair bodie?

4 'The eldest of your seven sons,
He can both read and write;
The second of your sons, my lord,
Can do it more perfyte.

5 'The third one of your sons, my lord,
He waters your milk-white steed;
The fourth one of your sons, my lord,
With red gold shines his weed.

6 'The fifth one of your sons, my lord,
He serves you when you dine;
The sixth one now you do behold,
How he walks out and in.

7 'The seventh one of your sons, my lord,
Sucks hard at my breast-bane;
When a' the house they are at rest,
For him I can get nane.

8 'And if you leave me thus forlorn,
A wainless wife I'll be,
For anybody's gold or gear
That is beyond the sea.'

9 'O wha will bake my bridal bread,
Or wha will brew my ale?
Or wha will cook my kitchen neat,
Or give my men their meal?'

10 'For love I'll bake your bridal bread,
To brew your ale I'm fain,
To cook your kitchen, as I have done,
Till you return again.'

11 'O wha will bake my bridal bread,
Or wha will brew my ale?
Or wha will welcome my braw bride,
That I bring owre the dale?'

12 'For love I'll bake your bridal bread,
For love I'll brew your ale,
And I will welcome your braw bride
That you bring owre the dale.'

13 Her mind she keeped, but sair she weepd
The time that he was gane
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .

14 'Go up, go up, my eldest son,
Go to the upmost ha,
And see if you see your father coming,
With your mother-to-be-in-law.'

15 'Put on, put on, O mother dear,
Put on your gouns so braw,
For yonder is my father coming,
With my mother-to-be-in-law.'

16 She's taen the wheat-bread in one hand,
The red wines, which plenty were,
And she's gane to the outmost gate,
And bid them welcome there.

17 'You're welcome here, my brother dear,
Ye're welcome, brother John;
Ye're welcome a' my brethern dear,
That has this journey gone.'

18 'I thank you, sister Annie,' he says,
'And I thank you heartilie,
And as you've welcomed home myself,
You'll welcome my fair ladye.'

19 'If I had roses to my feet,
And ribbons to my gown,
And as leal a maid as your braw bride,
I would speak without a frown.'

20 He's given her roses to her feet,
And ribbons to her gown,
And she has welcomed his braw bride,
But weel that was her own!

21 'I thank you, sister Annie,' she says,
'I thank you heartilie,
And if I be seven years about this place,
Rewarded you shall be.'

22 She served them up, she served them down,
And she served all their cries,
And aye as she came down the stair
The tears fell from her eyes.

23 When mass was sung, and all bells rung,
And all men boune for bed,
The good lord and his fair lady
Were in their chamber laid.

24 But poor Annie and her seven sons
Was in a room hard by,
And as she lay she sighed and wept,
And thus began to cry:

25 'O were my sons transformed to cats,
To speel this castle wa,
And I mysell a red blood-hound
That I might worry them a'!'

26 The bride she overhearing all,
And sair she rued her fate:
'Awauk, awauk, my lord,' she said,
'Awauk, for well you may;
For there's a woman in this gate
That will go mad ere day.

27 'I fear she is a leman of thine,
And a leman meek and mild;
Get up and pack her down the stairs,
Tho the woods were neer sae wild.'

28 'O yes, she is a leman of mine,
And a leman meek and kind,
And I will not pack her down the stairs,
For a' the gear that's thine.'

29 'O wha's your father, Ann?' she says,
'Or wha's your mother dear?
Or wha's your sister, Ann?' she says,
'Or brother? let me hear.'

30 'King Easter he's my father dear,
The Queen my mother was;
John Armstrang, in the west-airt lands,
My eldest brother is.'

31 'Then I'm your sister, Ann,' she says,
'And I'm a full sister to thee;
You were stolen awa when very young,
By the same lord's treacherie.

32 'I've seven ships upon the sea,
All loaded to the brim,
And five of them I'll give to thee,
And twa shall carry me hame.

33 'My mother shall mak my tocher up,
When I tell her how you thrive;
For we never knew where you was gone,
Or if you was alive.'

1 'O wha will bake my bridal bread,
And brew my bridal ale?
Wha will welcome my bright bride,
That I bring oer the dale?'

2 'O I will bake your bridal bread,
An brew your bridal ale;
An I will welcome your bright bride,
That you bring oer the dale.

3 'O she that welcomes my bright bride
Maun gang like maiden fair;
She maun lace her in her green cloathin,
An braid her yallow hair.'

4 'O how can I gang maiden like,
Whan maiden I am nane?
Whan I ha born you seven sons,
An am wi bairn again?'

5 The lady stood in her bowr door
An lookit oer the lan,
An there she saw her ain good lord,
Leadin his bride by the han.

6 She's dressd her sons i the scarlet red,
Hersel i the dainty green,
An tho her cheek lookd pale and wan,
She well might ha been a queen.

7 She calld upon her eldest son:
'Look yonder what you see;
For yonder comes your father dear,
Your step-mother him wi.

8 'O you'r welcome hame, my ain good lord,
To your ha's but an your bowrs;
You'r welcome hame, my ain good lord,
To your castles an your towrs:
Sae is your bright bride you beside,
She's fairer nor the flowers.'

9 'O whatn a lady's that?' she says,
'That welcoms you an me?
If I'm lang lady about this place,
Some good I will her dee.
She looks sae like my sister Jane,
Was stoln i the bowr frae me.'

10 O she has servd the lang tables,
Wi the white bread an the wine;
But ay she drank the wan water,
To keep her colour fine.

11 An she gid by the first table,
An leugh amo them a';
But ere she reachd the second table,
She let the tears down fa.

12 She's taen a napkin lang an white,
An hung't upon a pin;
It was to dry her watry eyes,
As she went out and in.

13 Whan bells were rung, an mass was sung,
An a' man boun to bed,
The bride but an the bonny bridegroom
In ae chamber was laid.

14 She's taen her harp intill her han,
To harp this twa asleep;
An ay as she harped an she sang,
Full sorely did she weep.

15 'O seven fu fair sons I have born
To the good lord o this place,
An I wish that they were seven hares,
To run the castle race,
An I mysel a good gray houn,
An I woud gi them chase.

16 'O seven fu fair sons I have born
To the good lord o this ha;
I wish that they were seven rottons,
To rin the castle wa,
An I mysell a good gray cat,
I wot I woud worry them a'

17 'The earle o Richmond was my father,
An the lady was my mother,
An a' the bairns bisides mysel
Was a sister an a brother.'

18 'Sing on, sing on, ye gay lady,
I wot ye hae sung in time;
Gin the earle o Richmond was your father,
I wot sae was he mine.'

19 'Rise up, rise up, my bierly bride;
I think my bed's but caul;
I woudna hear my lady lament
For your tocher ten times taul.

20 'O seven ships did bring you here,
An an sal tak you hame;
The leve I'll keep to your sister Jane,
For tocher she gat nane.'

1 'Learn to mak your bed, Annie,
And learn to lie your lane,
For I maun owre the salt seas gang,
A brisk bride to bring hame.

2 'Bind up, bind up your yellow hair,
And tye it in your neck,
And see you look as maiden-like
As the first day that we met.'

3 'O how can I look maiden-like,
When a maid I'll never be;
When seven brave sons I've born to thee,
And the eighth is in my bodie?

4 'The eldest of your sons, my lord,
Wi red gold shines his weed;
The second of your sons, my lord,
Rides on a milk-white steed.

5 'And the third of your sons, my lord,
He draws your beer and wine,
And the fourth of your sons, my lord,
Can serve you when you dine.

6 'And the fift of your sons, my lord,
He can both read and write,
And the sixth of your sons, my lord,
Can do it maist perfyte.

7 'And the sevent of your sons, my lord,
Sits on the nurse's knee;
And how can I look maiden-like,
When a maid I'll never be?

8 'But wha will bake your wedding bread,
And brew your bridal ale?
Or wha will welcome your brisk bride,
That you bring owre the dale?'

9 'I'll put cooks in my kitchen,
And stewards in my hall,
And I'll have bakers for my bread,
And brewers for my ale;
But you're to welcome my brisk bride,
That I bring owre the dale.'

10 He set his fut into his ship,
And his cock-boat on the main;
He swore it would be year and day
Or he returned again.

11 When year and day was past and gane,
Fair Annie she thocht lang,
And she is up to her bower-head,
To behold both sea and land.

12 'Come up, come up, my eldest son,
And see now what you see;
O yonder comes your father dear,
And your stepmother-to-be.'

13 'Cast off your gown of black, mother,
Put on your gown of brown,
And I'll put off my mourning weeds,
And we'll welcome him home.'

14 She's taken wine into her hand,
And she has taken bread,
And she is down to the water-side
To welcome them indeed.

15 'You're welcome, my lord, you're welcome, my lord,
You're welcome home to me;
So is every lord and gentleman
That is in your companie.

16 'You're welcome, my lady, you're welcome, my lady,
You're welcome home to me;
So is every lady and gentleman
That's in your companye.'

17 'I thank you, my girl, I thank you, my girl,
I thank you heartilie;
If I live seven years about this house,
Rewarded you shall be.'

18 She served them up, she served them down,
With the wheat bread and the wine;
But aye she drank the cold water,
To keep her colour fine.

19 She servd them up, she servd them down,
With the wheat bread and the beer;
But aye she drank the cauld water,
To keep her colour clear.

20 When bells were rung and mass was sung,
And all were boune for rest,
Fair Annie laid her sons in bed,
And a sorrowful woman she was.

21 'Will I go to the salt, salt seas,
And see the fishes swim?
Or will I go to the gay green-wood,
And hear the small birds sing?'

22 Out and spoke an aged man,
That stood behind the door:
'Ye will not go to the salt, salt seas,
To see the fishes swim;
Nor will ye go to the gay green-wood,
To hear the small birds sing.

23 'But ye'll tak a harp, into your hand,
Go to their chamber door,
And aye ye'll harp, and aye ye'll murn,
With the salt tears falling oer.'

24 She's tane a harp into her hand,
Went to their chamber door,
And aye she harpd, and aye she murnd,
With the salt tears falling oer.

25 Out and spak the brisk young bride,
In bride-bed where she lay:
'I think I hear my sister Annie,
And I wish weel it may;
For a Scotish lord staw her awa,
And an ill death may he die!

26 'Wha was your father, my girl,' she says,
'Or wha was your mother?
Or had you ever a sister dear,
Or had you ever a brother?'

27 'King Henry was my father dear,
Queen Easter was my mother,
Prince Henry was my brother dear,
And Fanny Flower my sister.'

28 'If King Henry was your father dear,
And Queen Easter was your mother,
And Prince Henry was your brother dear,
Then surely I'm your sister.

29 'Come to your bed, my sister dear,
It neer was wrangd for me,
But an ae kiss of his merry mouth,
As we cam owre the sea.'

30 'Awa, awa, ye forenoon bride,
Awa, awa frae me!
I wudna hear my Annie greet,
For a' the gold I got wi thee.'

31 'There was five ships of gay red gold
Came owre the seas with me;
It's twa o them will take me hame,
And three I'll leave wi thee.

32 'Seven ships o white money
Came owre the seas wi me;
Five o them I'll leave wi thee,
And twa'll tak me hame,
And my mother will mak my portion up,
When I return again.'

B

C

D

E

F

G

H