Mild Mary
FAIR MARY OF WALLINGTON—E
[_]
Motherwell's MS., p. 123, from the recitation of Mrs Macqueen,
Lochwinnoch.
1
‘Arise, arise, dochter,’ she said,
‘My bidding to obey;
The bravest lord in all Scotland
This night asked you of me.’
2
‘O haud your tongue, mother,’ she said,
‘These words they do me wrang;
For gin I lye in a man's bed,
My days will no be land.
3
‘There were seven sisters o us a',
We were a' clad in white;
And five of them were married,
And in child-bed they died.’
4
‘Ye shall not be drest in black,
Nor sall ye be in broun;
But ye'se be drest in shining gowd,
To gae glittering thro the town.
5
‘Your father sall ride before you,’ she said,
‘And your brother sall ride ahin;
Your horses fore-feet siller shod,
And his hind anes wi gowd shall shine.
6
‘Wi four and twenty buirdlie men
Atween ye and the wun,
And four and twenty bonnie mays
Atween ye and the sun.
7
‘Four and twenty milk-white geese,
Stretching their wings sae wide,
Blawing the dust aff the high-way,
That Mild Mary may ride.’
8
They took to them their milk-white steeds,
Set her upon a grey,
And wi a napkin in her hand
Weeping she rade away.
9
O they rade on that lee-lang nicht,
And part o the neist day also,
And syne she saw her auld good mother
Stand in the gates below.
10
‘You'r welcome, welcome, dochter,’ she said,
‘To your biggins and your bowers;’
‘I thank ye kindly, mither,’ she said,
‘But I doubt they'll sune be yours.’
[OMITTED]
