The English and Scottish Popular Ballads Edited by Francis James Child. |
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 | The English and Scottish Popular Ballads |  |
Fair Margaret
CHILD WATERS—E
[_]
Harris MS., No 8, fol. 12 b: originally from Jannie Scott, an old nurse in Perthshire, about 1790.
1
‘I beg you bide at hame, Margaret,An sew your silken seam;
If ye waur in the wide Hielands,
Ye wald be owre far frae hame.’
2
‘I winna bide at hame,’ she said,‘Nor sew my silken seam;
92
I wald no be owre far frae hame.’
3
‘My steed sall drink the blude-red wine,An you the water wan;
I'll mak you sigh, an say, alace,
That ever I loed a man!’
4
‘Though your steed does drink the blude-red wine,An me the water wan,
Yet will I sing, an merry be,
That ever I loed a man.’
5
‘My hounds shall eat the bread o wheat,An you the bread o bran;
I'll mak you sigh, an say, alace,
That ever you loed Lord John!’
6
‘Though your hounds do eat the bread o wheat,An me the bread o bran,
Yet will I sing, an merrie be,
That ever I loed Lord John.’
7
He turned aboot his high horse head,An awa he was boun to ride;
She kilted up her green clieden,
An after him she gaed.
8
Whan they cam to that waterWhilk a' man ca the Clyde,
He turned aboot his high horse head,
Said, Ladie, will you ride?
9
‘I learnt it in my mother's bour,I wish I had learnt it weel,
That I could swim this wan water
As weel as fish or eel.’
10
Whan at the middle o that water,She sat doon on a stone;
He turned aboot his high horse head,
Says, Ladie, will ye loup on?
11
‘I learnt in my mother's bour,I wish I had learnt it better,
That I culd swim this wan water
As weel as eel or otter.’
12
He has taen the narrow ford,An she has taen the wide;
Lang, lang ere he was at the middle,
She was sittin at the ither side.
13
[OMITTED][OMITTED]
Wi sighen said that Fair Margaret,
Alace, I'm far frae hame!
14
‘Hoo mony miles is't to your castle?Noo Lord John, tell to me;’
‘Hoo mony miles is't to my castle?
It's thirty miles an three:’
Wi sighen said that Fair Margaret,
It'll never be gane by me!
15
But up it spak the wily bird,As it sat on the tree,
‘Rin on, rin on noo, Fair Margaret,
It scarcely miles is three.’
16
Whan they cam to the wide Hielands,An lichted on the green,
Every an spak Erse to anither,
But Margaret she spak nane.
17
Whan they waur at table set,An birlin at the best,
Margaret set at a bye-table,
An fain she wald hain rest.
18
‘Oh mither, mither, mak my bedWi clean blankets an sheets,
An lay my futeboy at my feet,
The sounder I may sleep.’
19
She has made Lord John his bed,Wi clean blankets an sheets,
An laid his futeboy at his feet,
But neer a wink culd he sleep.
20
‘Win up, win up noo, Fair Margaret,An see that my steed has meat;
See that his corn is in his travisse,
Nor lyin amang his feet.’
21
Slowly, slowly rase she up,An slowly put she on,
An slowly gaed she doon the stair,
Aye makin a heavy moan.
22
‘An asken, an asken, gude Lord John,I pray you grant it me;
For the warst bed in a' your hoose,
To your young son an me.’
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23
‘Your asken is but sma, Margaret,Sune grantet it shall be;
For the best bed in a' my hoose
Is owre little for thee.’
24
‘An asken, an asken, gude Lord John,I pray you grant it me;
For the warst ale in a' your hoose,
That ye wald gie to me.’
25
‘Your asken is but sma, Margaret,Sune grantet it sall be;
For the best wine in a' my hoose
Is owre little for thee.
26
‘But cheer up your heart noo, Fair Margaret,For, be it as it may,
Your kirken an your fair weddin
Sall baith be on one day.’
| The English and Scottish Popular Ballads | |