The English and Scottish Popular Ballads Edited by Francis James Child. |
 | I. |
 | 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 7. |
| 8. |
| 9. |
| 10. |
| 11. |
| 12. |
| 13. |
| 14. |
| 15. |
| 16. |
| 17. |
| 18. |
| 19. |
| 20. |
| 21. |
| 22. |
| 23. |
| 24. |
| 25. |
| 26. |
| 27. |
| 28. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
 | The English and Scottish Popular Ballads |  |
The Baron o Leys
THE BARON O LEYS—C
1
The Baron o Leys to France is gane,The fashion and tongue to learn,
But hadna been there a month or twa
Till he gat a lady wi bairn.
2
But it fell ance upon a dayThe lady mournd fu sairlie;
Says, Who's the man has me betrayed?
It gars me wonder and fairlie.
3
Then to the fields to him she went,Saying, Tell me what they ca thee;
Or else I'll mourn and rue the day,
Crying, alas that ever I saw thee!
4
‘Some ca's me this, some ca's me that,I carena fat befa me;
For when I'm at the schools o France
An awkward fellow they ca me.’
5
‘Wae's me now, ye awkward fellow,And alas that ever I saw thee!
Wi you I'm in love, sick, sick in love,
And I kenna well fat they ca thee.’
6
‘Some ca's me this, some ca's me that,What name does best befa me;
For when I walk in Edinburgh streets
The Curling Buckle they ca me.’
7
‘O wae's me now, O Curling Buckle,And alas that ever I saw thee!
For I'm in love, sick, sick in love,
And I kenna well fat they ca thee.’
8
‘Some ca's me this, some ca's me that,Whatever name best befa's me;
But when I'm in Scotland's king's high court
Clatter the Speens they ca me.’
9
‘O wae's me now, O Clatter the Speens,And alas that ever I saw thee!
For I'm in love, sick, sick in love,
And I kenna well fat to ca thee.’
10
‘Some ca's me this, some ca's me that,I carena what they ca me;
But when wi the Earl o Murray I ride
It's Scour the Brass they ca me.’
11
‘O wae's me now, O Scour the Brass,And alas that ever I saw thee!
358
And I kenna well fat to ca thee.’
12
‘Some ca's me this, some ca's me that,Whatever name best befa's me;
But when I walk thro Saint Johnstone's town
George Burnett they ca me.’
13
‘O wae's me, O wae's me, George Burnett,And alas that ever I saw thee!
For I'm in love, sick, sick in love,
And I kenna well fat to ca thee.’
14
‘Some ca's me this, some ca's me that,Whatever name best befa's me;
But when I am on bonny Dee side
The Baron o Leys they ca me.’
15
‘O weal is me now, O Baron o Leys,This day that ever I saw thee!
There's gentle blood within my sides,
And now [I] ken fat they ca thee.
16
‘But ye'll pay down ten thousand crowns,Or marry me the morn;
Else I'll cause you be headed or hangd
For gieing me the scorn.’
17
‘My head is a thing I cannot well want;My lady loves me sae dearly;
But I'll deal the gold right liberally
For lying ae night sae near thee.’
18
When word had gane to the Lady o LeysThe baron had gotten a bairn,
She clapped her hands, and this did say,
‘I wish he were in my arms!
19
‘O weal is me now, O Baron o Leys,For ye hae pleased me sairly;
Frae our house is banishd the vile reproach
That disturbed us late and early.’
20
When she looked ower her castle-wa,To view the woods sae rarely,
There she spied the Baron o Leys
Ride on his steed sae rarely.
21
Then forth she went her baron to meet,Says, Ye're welcome to me, fairly!
Ye'se hae spice-cakes, and seed-cakes sweet,
And claret to drink sae rarely.
| The English and Scottish Popular Ballads | |