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The English and Scottish Popular Ballads

Edited by Francis James Child.

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WILLIE'S LYKE-WAKE—C

[_]

Motherwell's MS., p. 187.

1

O Willie, Willie, what makes thee so sad?’
And the sun shines over the valley
‘I have loved a lady these seven years and mair.’
Down amang the blue flowers and the yellow

2

‘O Willie, lie down as thou were dead,
And lay thy winding-sheet down at thy head.

3

‘And gie to the bellman a belling-great,
To ring the dead-bell at thy love's bower-yett.’

4

He laid him down as he were dead,
And he drew the winding-sheet oer his head.

5

He gied to the bellman a belling-great,
To ring the dead-bell at his love's bower-yett.
[OMITTED]

6

When that she came to her true lover's gate,
She dealt the red gold and all for his sake.

7

And when that she came to her true lover's bower,
She had not been there for the space of half an hour,

8

Till that she cam to her true lover's bed,
And she lifted the winding-sheet to look at the dead.

9

He took her by the hand so meek and sma,
And he cast her over between him and the wa.

10

‘Tho all your friends were in the bower,
I would not let you go for the space of half an hour.

11

‘You came to me without either horse or boy,
But I will send you home with a merry convoy.’