256
ALISON AND WILLIE
ALISON AND WILLIE
[_]
a. ‘My luve she lives in Lincolnshire,’ Harris MS., fol. 18 b; Mrs
Harris. b. ‘Alison’ Buchan's MSS., I, 231.
1
‘My luve she lives in Lincolnshire,
I wat she's neither black nor broun,
But her hair is like the thread o gowd,
Aye an it waur weel kaimëd doun.’
2
She's pued the black mask owre her face,
An blinkit gaily wi her ee:
‘O will you to my weddin come,
An will you bear me gude companie?’
3
‘I winna to your weddin come,
Nor [will] I bear you gude companie,
Unless you be the bride yoursell,
An me the bridegroom to be.’
4
‘For me to be the bride mysel,
An you the bonnie bridegroom to be —
Cheer up your heart, Sweet Willie,’ she said,
‘For that's the day you'll never see.
5
‘Gin you waur on your saiddle set,
An gaily ridin on the way,
You'll hae nae mair mind o Alison
Than she waur dead an laid in clay.’
6
When he was on his saiddle set,
An slowly ridin on the way,
He had mair mind o Alison
Than he had o the licht o day.
7
He saw a hart draw near a hare,
An aye that hare drew near a toun,
An that same hart did get a hare,
But the gentle knicht got neer a toun.
8
He leant him owre his saiddle-bow,
An his heart did brak in pieces three;
Wi sighen said him Sweet Willie,
‘The pains o luve hae taen hald o me.’
9
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
There cam a white horse an a letter,
That stopped the weddin speidilie.
10
She leant her back on her bed-side,
An her heart did brak in pieces three;
She was buried an bemoaned,
But the birds waur Willie's companie.
