The English and Scottish Popular Ballads Edited by Francis James Child. |
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 | The English and Scottish Popular Ballads |  |
186
The Brown Bride and Lord Thomas
LORD THOMAS AND FAIR ANNET—C
1
‘Come read my rede, O mother dear,Come riddle it all in one;
O whether will I take Fair Annie,
Or bring the brown bride home?’
2
‘The brown, brown bride has kye and ewes,Fair Annie she has none;
She has nothing but a bonny, bonny face,
And that'll soon be gone.’
3
‘Where will I get a pretty little boy,That'll rin my errands soon,
That will rin to Fair Annie's bower,
And bid her to my wedding?’
4
‘Here am I, a pretty little boy,That'll rin your errands soon,
That will rin to Fair Annie's bower,
And bid her to your wedding.’
5
‘Forbid her to put on her silks so black,Or yet her silks so brown;
But she must put on her suddled silks,
That she wears up and down.
6
‘Forbid her to put on her silks so green,Or yet her silks so gray;
But she must put on her suddled silks,
That she wears every day.’
7
When he gade to Fair Annie's bower,He tirled at the pin;
So ready was Fair Annie hersell
To open and let him in.
8
‘What news, what news, my little boy?What news hast thou to me?’
‘You must prepare for Lord Thomas’ wedding,
And that's bad news for thee.’
9
‘Good news, good news,’ Fair Annie says,‘Good news is it for me,
For me to be bride and him bridegroom,
And that's good news for me.’
10
‘He forbids thee to put on thy silks so black,Or yet thy silks so brown;
But thou must put on thy suddled silks,
That thou wears up and down.
11
‘He forbids you to put on thy silks so green,Or yet thy silks so gray;
But thou must on thy suddled silks,
That thou wears every day.’
12
‘There are smiths into my smiddy-bourThat'll dress to me a steed,
There are tailors in my tailor-house
That'll dress to me a weed.
13
‘There are maidens in my maiden-bowerThat'll lay gold in my hair,
And where eer there were ane link before,
It shall be nine times mair.’
14
Then Annie got herself attired,In all things very fine,
With red ribbons, and silks so fair,
That owre her shoulders shine.
15
When she came to Lord Thomas' yett,She shined amang them a',
And the buttons on Lord Thomas' coat
Brusted and brak in twa.
16
‘Brown, brown is your steed,’ she says,‘But browner is your bride;
But gallant is that handkerchy
That hideth her din hide.’
17
‘O hold thy peace, Fair Annie,’ he says,‘Speak not of that to me,
For happy is that bonny, bonny lad
That leads his life with thee.’
18
Then out bespoke the brown, brown bride,And she spoke out with spite:
‘O whare gets thou that water-cherry,
That washes thee so white?’
19
‘I got in my father's garden,Below an olive tree,
And although thou war to seek long seven years
That water thou'll never see.
20
‘Tho thou hast got Lord Thomas' handThat water thou'll neer see;
For thou's sunbrunt from thy mother's womb,
And thou'll never be like me.’
| The English and Scottish Popular Ballads | |