A proper new ballad entitled The Wind hath
blawn my Plaid awa
THE ELFIN KNIGHT—B
[_]
A Collection of Curious Old Ballads, etc., p. 3. Partly
from an old copy in black letter, and partly from the recitation
of an old lady.
My plaid awa, my plaid awa,
And owre the hills and far awa,
And far awa to Norrowa,
My plaid shall not be blawn awa.
1
The Elphin knight sits on yon hill,
Ba, ba, ba, lillie ba
He blaws his horn baith loud and shrill.
The wind hath blawn my plaid awa
2
He blaws it east, he blaws it west,
He blaws it where he liketh best.
3
‘I wish that horn were in my kist,
Yea, and the knight in my arms niest.’
4
She had no sooner these words said,
Than the knight came to her bed.
5
‘Thou art oer young a maid,’ quoth he,
‘Married with me that thou wouldst be.’
6
‘I have a sister, younger than I,
And she was married yesterday.’
7
‘Married with me if thou wouldst be,
A curtisie thou must do to me.
8
‘It's ye maun mak a sark to me,
Without any cut or seam,’ quoth he.
9
‘And ye maun shape it, knife-, sheerless,
And also sew it needle-, threedless.’
10
‘If that piece of courtisie I do to thee,
Another thou must do to me.
11
‘I have an aiker of good ley land,
Which lyeth low by yon sea strand.
12
‘It's ye maun till't wi your touting horn,
And ye maun saw't wi the pepper corn.
13
‘And ye maun harrow't wi a thorn,
And hae your wark done ere the morn.
14
‘And ye maun shear it wi your knife,
And no lose a stack o't for your life.
15
‘And ye maun stack it in a mouse hole,
And ye maun thrash it in your shoe sole.
16
‘And ye maun dight it in your loof,
And also sack it in your glove.
17
‘And thou must bring it over the sea,
Fair and clean and dry to me.
18
‘And when that ye have done your wark,
Come back to me, and ye'll get your sark.’
19
‘I'll not quite my plaid for my life;
It haps my seven bairns and my wife.’
20
‘My maidenhead I'll then keep still,
Let the elphin knight do what he will.
