Clerk Tamas
LORD THOMAS AND LADY MARGARET—B
[_]
Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 43.
1
Clerk Tamas lovd her fair Annie
As well as Mary lovd her son;
But now he hates her fair Annie,
And hates the lands that she lives in.
2
‘Ohon, alas!’ said fair Annie,
‘Alas! this day I fear I'll die;
But I will on to sweet Tamas,
And see gin he will pity me.’
3
As Tamas lay ower his shott-window,
Just as the sun was gaen down,
There he beheld her fair Annie,
As she came walking to the town.
4
‘O where are a' my well-wight men,
I wat, that I pay meat and fee,
For to lat a' my hounds gang loose
To hunt this vile whore to the sea.’
5
The hounds they knew the lady well,
And nane o them they woud her bite,
Save ane that is ca'd Gaudywhere,
I wat he did the lady smite.
6
‘O wae mat worth ye, Gaudywhere!
An ill reward this is to me;
For ae bit that I gae the lave,
I'm very sure I've gien you three.
7
‘For me, alas! there's nae remeid,
Here comes the day that I maun die;
I ken ye lovd your master well,
And sae, alas for me! did I.’
8
A captain lay ower his ship-window,
Just as the sun was gaen down;
There he beheld her fair Annie,
As she was hunted frae the town.
9
‘Gin ye'll forsake father and mither,
And sae will ye your friends and kin,
Gin ye'll forsake your lands sae broad,
Then come and I will take you in.’
10
‘Yes, I'll forsake baith father and mither,
And sae will I my friends and kin;
Yes, I'll forsake my lands sae broad,
And come, gin ye will take me in.’
11
Then a' thing gaed frae fause Tamas,
And there was naething byde him wi;
Then he thought lang for Arrandella,
It was fair Annie for to see.
12
‘How do ye now, ye sweet Tamas?
And how gaes a' in your countrie?’
‘I'll do better to you than ever I've done,
Fair Annie, gin ye'll come an see.’
13
‘O Guid forbid,’ said fair Annie,
‘That e'er the like fa in my hand!
Woud I forsake my ain gude lord
And follow you, a gae-through-land?
14
‘Yet nevertheless now, sweet Tamas,
Ye'll drink a cup o wine wi me,
And nine times in the live lang day
Your fair claithing shall changed be.’
15
Fair Annie pat it till her cheek,
Sae did she till her milk-white chin,
Sae did she till her flattering lips,
But never a drap o wine gaed in.
16
Tamas pat it till his cheek,
Sae did he till his dimpled chin;
He pat it till his rosy lips,
And then the well o wine gaed in.
17
‘These pains,’ said he, ‘are ill to bide;
Here is the day that I maun die;
O take this cup frae me, Annie,
For o the same I am weary.’
18
‘And sae was I o you, Tamas,
When I was hunted to the sea;
But I'se gar bury you in state,
Which is mair than ye'd done to me.’
