"Take nane frae Peter, nor frae Paul, Nane frae high or low o' them all.

"And frae them all ye will take nane,
Until it comes frae the bride's ain hand."

He took nane frae Peter, nor frae Paul,
Nane frae the high, nor low o' them all.

And frae them all he would take nane,
Until it came frae the bride's ain hand.

The bride came tripping down the stair,
The combs o' red gowd in her hair.

A cup o' red wine in her hand,
And that she ga'e to the beggar man.

Out o' the cup he drank the wine,
And into the cup he dropt the ring.

"

O got ye 't by sea, or got ye 't, by land,/
Or got ye 't on a drown'd man's hand?"

I got it not by sea, nor got it by land,
Nor got I it on a drown'd man's hand.

'But I got it at my wooing gay,

45

50

55

And I'll gi'e 't you on your wedding day."

60

'I'll take the red gowd frae my head, And follow you, and beg my bread..

'I'll take the red gowd frae my hair,

And follow you for evermair."

Atween the kitchen and the ha',

He loot his cloutie cloak down fa',

And wi' red gowd shone ower them a',
And frae the bridegroom the bride he sta'.
Child, Pop. Bal., No. 17H

65

WALY, WALY, UP THE BANK

[JAMIE DOUGLAS]

O WALY, waly, up the bank,

And waly, waly, doun the brae,
And waly, waly, yon burn-side,
Where I and my love wont to gae!

I lean'd my back unto an aik,
I thocht it was a trustie tree;

But first it bow'd and syne it brak-
Sae my true love did lichtlie me.

O waly, waly, gin love be bonnie
A little time while it is new!
But when 't is auld it waxeth cauld,
And fades awa' like morning dew.

12

f

O wherefore should I busk my heid,
Or wherefore should I kame my hair?
For my true love has me forsook,

And says he'll never lo'e me mair.

Now Arthur's Seat sall be my bed,
The sheets sall ne'er be 'filed by me;
Saint Anton's well sall be my drink;

Since my true love has forsaken me.

Marti'mas wind, when wilt thou blaw,
And shake the green leaves aff the tree?
O gentle Death, when wilt thou come?
For of my life I am wearie.

'T is not the frost that freezes fell,
Nor blawing snaw's inclemencie ;

'T is not sic cauld that makes me cry,
But my love's heart grown cauld to me.

When we cam in by Glasgow toun,

We were a comely sicht to see;

My love was clad in the black velvet,
And I mysel' in cramasie.

But had I wist, before I kist,

That love had been sae ill to win, I'd lock'd my heart in a case o' gowd. And pinn'd it wi' a siller pin.

36

And O! if my young babe were bor:1,

And set upon the nurse's knee;
And I mysel' were dead and gane,"
For a maid again I'll never be.

Child, Pop. Bal., No. 204a

40

AULD ROBIN GRAY

1

WHEN the sheep are in the fauld, and the kye 's come hame,

And a' the warld to rest are gane,

The waes o' my heart fa' in showers frae my e'e, Unkent by my gudeman, wha sleeps sound by

me.

Young Jamie lo'ed me weel, and sought me for his bride;

But saving ae croun-piece he had naething else

beside:

To make the croun a pund, young Jamie gaed to

sea;

And the croun,and the pund-they were baith

for me.

8

He hadna been awa' a week but only twa,

When my father brak his arm, and the cow was

stown awa';

My mother she fell sick-and my Jamie at the

sea

And auld Robin Gray came a-courting me.

12

My father couldna work, and my mother couldna! Pod zu darom ol

-spin;

I toil'd day and night, but their bread I couldna

win;

Auld Rob maintain'd them baith, and wi' tears in !

Said, "Jennie, for their sakes, will ye no'martytul

My heart it said nay; I look'd for Jamie back; But the wind it blew high, and the ship it was a wrack;

His ship it was a wrack-Why didna Jamie dee? Or why am I spared to cry, Wae 's me!

20

My father urged me sair: my mother didna speak, But she look'd in my face till my heart was like

to break:

They gied him my hand, tho my heart was

in

the sea; Sae auld Robin Gray he was gudeman to me, 24

I hadna been a wife a week but only four,

When mournfu, as I sat on the stane, at my door, I saw my Jamie's wraith, for I couldna think

it he,

aloz trend How pod., noo2 Till he said, "I'm come hame, love, to marry thee."

O sair, sair did we greet, and tickle say of a^; I gi'ed him but ae kiss, and bade him gang awa':