The English and Scottish Popular Ballads Edited by Francis James Child. |
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The English and Scottish Popular Ballads | ||
65
Johny Faa, the Gypsy Laddie
THE GYPSY LADDIE—A
1
The gypsies came to our good lord's gate,And wow but they sang sweetly!
They sang sae sweet and sae very compleat
That down came the fair lady.
2
And she came tripping down the stair,And all her maids before her;
As soon as they saw her well-far'd face,
They coost the glamer oer her.
3
‘Gae tak frae me this gay mantile,And bring to me a plaidie;
For if kith and kin and a' had sworn,
I'll follow the gypsie laddie.
4
‘Yestreen I lay in a well-made bed,And my good lord beside me;
This night I'll ly in a tenant's barn,
Whatever shall betide me.’
5
‘Come to your bed,’ says Johny Faa,‘Oh come to your bed, my deary;
For I vow and I swear, by the hilt of my sword,
That your lord shall nae mair come near ye.’
6
‘I'll go to bed to my Johny Faa,I'll go to bed to my deary;
For I vow and I swear, by what past yestreen,
That my lord shall nae mair come near me.
7
‘I'll mak a hap to my Johnny Faa,And I'll mak a hap to my deary;
And he's get a' the coat gaes round,
And my lord shall nae mair come near me.’
8
And when our lord came hame at een,And speir'd for his fair lady,
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‘She's away with the gypsie laddie.’
9
‘Gae saddle to me the black, black steed,Gae saddle and make him ready;
Before that I either eat or sleep,
I'll gae seek my fair lady.’
10
And we were fifteen well-made men,Altho we were nae bonny;
And we were a' put down for ane,
A fair young wanton lady.
The English and Scottish Popular Ballads | ||