The English and Scottish Popular Ballads Edited by Francis James Child. |
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 | The English and Scottish Popular Ballads |  |
The Lady of Livenston
FAIR MARY OF WALLINGTON—G
1
‘We was sisters, we was seven,Five of us dayed we child,
An you an me, Burd Ellen,
Sall live maidens mild.’
2
Ther came leards, an ther came lords,An knights of high degree,
A' courting Lady Messry,
Bat it widne deei.
3
Bat the bonny lord of Livenston,He was flour of them a',
The bonny lord of Livenston,
He stole the lady awaa.
4
Broad was the horses hovesThat dumped the water of Clide,
An a' was for honor of that gay lady
That day she was Livenston's bride.
5
Fan she came to LivenstonMukell mirth was ther;
The knights knaked ther whit fingers
The ladys curled ther hear.
6
She had no ben in LivenstonA tuall-month an a day,
Till she was as big we bearn
As a lady coud gaa.
7
She had ne ben in LivenstonA tuall-month an a hour,
Till for the morning of the may
The couldne ane come near her bour.
8
‘Far will I gett a bonny boyThat will rean my earend shoun,
That will goo to leve London,
To my mother, the quin?’
9
‘Hear am I, a bonny boyWill rin yer earend sune,
To yer mother, the quin.’
10
‘Hear is the bruch fra my breast-bane,The garlands fra my hear;
Ye ge that to my mider,
Fra me she'll never gett mare.
11
‘Hear is the rosses fra my shoun,The ribbons fra my hear;
Ye gee that to my mider,
Fra me she'll never gett mare.
12
‘Hear is my briddel-stand,It is a' goud to the heam;
Ye gie that to Burd Ellen,
Forbed her to marry men.
13
‘Ye bid them and ye pray them bath,If they will dou it for my sake,
If they be not att my death,
To be att my leak-wake.
14
‘Ye bid them and ye pray them baith,If they will dou it for my name,
If they be not att my leak-wake,
To be att my birrien.’
15
Fan he came to grass grouen,He strated his bou an rane,
An fan he came to brigs broken
He slaked his bou an swam.
16
An fan he came to yon castell,He bad nether to chap nor caa,
But sait his bent bou to his breast
An lightly lap the waa;
Or the porter was att the gate,
The boy was in the haa.
17
‘Mukell meatt is on yer table, lady,An littil of it is eaten,
Bat the bonny lady of Livenston
Ye have her clean forgotten.’
18
‘Ye lie, ye lie, ye bonny boy,Sae loud as I hear ye lie;
Mukell ha I sold the [meatt],
An littel hae I bought,
Batt the bonny lady of Livenston
Gaas never out of my thought.
19
‘Mukell have I bought, bonny boy,An littel haa I sale,
Bat the bonny lady of Livenston
She couls my heart fue cale.’
20
‘Hear is the ribbings fra her hear,The roses fra her shoun;
I was bidden gie that to her midder,
To her midder, the quin.
21
‘Hear is the bruch fra her breast-bean,The garlands frae her hear;
I was bidden gee that to her mother,
Fra her she'll never gett mare.
22
‘Hear is her bridell-stand,The'r a' goud to the heam;
I was bidden ga that to Burd Ellen,
Forbid her to marry man.
23
‘She bids ye an she prays ye bath,Gin yee'll di et for her sake,
If ye be not att her death,
To be att her leak-wake.
24
‘She bidds yee an she prays ye bath,Gine ye'll dou et for her name,
If ye be not att her leak-wake,
To be at her burrien.’
25
‘Garr saddell to me the blak,Saddle to me the broun,
Gar saddel to me the suiftest stead
That ever read fraa a toun,
Till I gaa to Livenston
An see hou Measry fairs.’
26
The first stead was saddled to her,It was the bonny black;
She spured him aftt and she spared him na,
An she tayened him at a slap.
27
The neast stead that was saddled to herWas the berrey-broun;
She spured him aftt an she spared him not,
An she tayned him att a toun.
28
The neast an steed that was saddled to her,It was the milk-white:
‘Fair faa the mear that folled the foll
Had me to Meassry's leak!’
29
Fan she came to Livenston,Mukel dolle was ther;
The knights wrang ther whit fingers,
The ladys tore ther hear.
30
The knights they wrang ther whit fingers,The rings they flue in four:
‘Latt haas an tours an a' doun fau!
My dear thing has gine it our.’
31
Out spak him Livenston,An a sorry man was he;
‘I had rader lost the lands of Livenston,
Afor my gay lady.’
32
‘Had yer toung nou, Livenston,An latt yer folly be;
I bare the burd in my bosom,
I man thole to see her diee.’
33
Fan she came to her doughter's boure,Ther was littel pride;
The scoups was in her doughter's mouth,
An the sharp shirrs in her side.
34
Out spake her Burd Ellen,An she spake ay threu pride;
The wife sall never bear the sin
Sall lay doun by my side.
35
‘Had your toung nou, Burd Ellen,Ye latt yer folly a be;
Dinnë ye mind that ye promised yer love
To him that is ayond the seaa?’
36
‘Hold yer toung, my mother,Ye speak just leak a fooll;
Tho I wer marred att Martimes,
I wad be dead or Yeull.’
37
‘I have five bonny oyes att heam,Ther was never ane of them born,
Bat every ane of them
Out of ther midder's sides shorn.’
| The English and Scottish Popular Ballads | |