Sir Patrick Spens
SIR PATRICK SPENS—K
[_]
Communicated by Mr Murison, as taken down from recitation
in Old Deer by Mrs Murison.
1
It's when he read the letter ower
A licht lauch then leuch he;
But lang ere he wan the end o it
The saut tear filled his ee.
2
‘O woe be to the man,’ he says,
‘That's tauld the king o me;
Altho he be my ain brither,
Some ill death mat he dee!
3
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‘For be it weet, or be it win,
My bonnie ship sails the morn.’
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4
‘For late the streen I saw the new meen,
Bit an the auld ane tee,
An it fears me sair, my good maister,
For a tempest in the sea.’
5
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Till up it rase the win an storm,
An a tempest i the sea.
6
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It's throch an throu the comely cog
There comes the green raw sea.
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7
‘Call upo your men, maister,
An dinna call on me,
For ye drank them weel ere ye tuke the gate,
But O nane gae ye me.
8
‘Ye beat my back, an beat my sides,
When I socht hose an sheen;
So call upo your men, maister,
As they lie drunk wi wine.’
9
‘Come doon, come doon, my bonnie boy,
An tak my helm in han;
Gin ever we live to gae to lan,
I'll wed ye wi my daughter Ann.’
10
‘Ye used me ill, my guid maister,
When we was on the lan,
But nevertheless, my gude maister,
I'll tak your helm in han.’
11
O laith, laith was oor bonny boys
To weet their cork-heeled shoes;
But lang ere a' the play was played,
They wat their yallow broos.
12
O laith, laith was oor bonnie boys
To weet their cork-heeled sheen;
But lang ere a' the play was played,
They wat their hair abeen.
13
‘O lang, lang will my lady leuk,
Wi the lantern in her han,
Afore she see my bonnie ship
Come sailin to dry lan.’
14
Atween Leith an Aberdeen
Lies mony a craig an sea,
An there it lies young Patrick Spens,
An mony bonnie boys him wi.
