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188

Willie and May Margaret

THE MOTHER'S MALISON, OR, CLYDE'S WATER—B

[_]

Jamieson's Popular Ballads, I, 135; from Mrs Brown's recitation, apparently in 1800.

1

‘Gie corn to my horse, mither,
Gie meat unto my man,
For I maun gang to Margaret's bower
Before the nicht comes on.’

2

‘O stay at hame now, my son Willie,
The wind blaws cald and sour;
The nicht will be baith mirk and late
Before ye reach her bower.’

3

‘O tho the nicht were ever sae dark,
Or the wind blew never sae cald,
I will be in my Margaret's bower
Before twa hours be tald.’

4

‘O gin ye gang to May Margaret,
Without the leave of me,
Clyde's water's wide and deep enough,
My malison drown thee!’

5

He mounted on his coal-black steed,
And fast he rade awa,
But ere he came to Clyde's water
Fu loud the wind did blaw.

6

As he rode oer yon hich, hich hill,
And down yon dowie den,
There was a roar in Clyde's water
Wad feard a hunder men.

7

His heart was warm, his pride was up;
Sweet Willie kentna fear;
But yet his mither's malison
Ay sounded in his ear.

8

O he has swam through Clyde's water,
Tho it was wide and deep,
And he came to May Margaret's door,
When a' were fast asleep.

9

O he's gane round and round about,
And tirled at the pin;
But doors were steekd, and windows barrd,
And nane wad let him in.

10

‘O open the door to me, Margaret!
O open and lat me in!
For my boots are full o Clyde's water
And frozen to the brim.’

11

‘I darena open the door to you,
Nor darena lat you in,
For my mither she is fast asleep,
And I darena mak nae din.’
189

12

‘O gin ye winna open the door,
Nor yet be kind to me,
Now tell me o some out-chamber
Where I this nicht may be.’

13

‘Ye canna win in this nicht, Willie,
Nor here ye canna be;
For I've nae chambers out nor in,
Nae ane but barely three.

14

‘The tane o them is fu o corn,
The tither is fu o hay;
The tither is fu o merry young men;
They winna remove till day.’

15

‘O fare ye weel, then, May Margaret,
Sin better manna be;
I've win my mither's malison,
Coming this nicht to thee.’

16

He's mounted on his coal-black steed,
O but his heart was wae!
But, ere he came to Clyde's water,
'Twas half up oer the brae.
[OMITTED]

17

[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED] he plunged in,
But never raise again.
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