The Place where my love Johnny dwells
THE FALSE LOVER WON BACK—B
[_]
Christie's Traditional Ballad Airs, I, 144; from the recitation
of a woman born in Buchan.
1
The sun shines high on yonder hill,
And low on yonder town;
In the place where my love Johnny dwells,
The sun gaes never down.
2
‘O when will ye be back, bonny lad,
O when will ye be hame?’
‘When heather-hills are nine times brunt,
And a' grown green again.’
3
‘O that's ower lang awa, bonny lad,
O that's ower lang frae hame;
For I'll be dead and in my grave
Ere ye come back again.’
4
He put his foot into the stirrup
And said he maun go ride,
But she kilted up her green claithing
And said she woudna bide.
5
The firsten town that they came to,
He bought her hose and sheen,
And bade her rue and return again,
And gang nae farther wi him.
6
‘Ye likena me at a', bonny lad,
Ye likena me at a';’
‘It's sair for you likes me sae weel
And me nae you at a'.’
7
The nexten town that they came to,
He bought her a braw new gown,
And bade her rue and return again,
And gang nae farther wi him.
8
The nexten town that they came to,
He bought her a wedding ring,
And bade her dry her rosy cheeks,
And he would tak her wi him.
9
‘O wae be to your bonny face,
And your twa blinkin een!
And wae be to your rosy cheeks!
They've stown this heart o mine.
10
‘There's comfort for the comfortless,
There's honey for the bee;
There's comfort for the comfortless,
There's nane but you for me.’