The English and Scottish Popular Ballads Edited by Francis James Child. |
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 | The English and Scottish Popular Ballads |  |
309
Kemp Owyne; or, Kemp Owayne
KEMP OWYNE—A
[_]
Buchan, Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 78, from Mr Nicol of Strichen, as learned in his youth from old people; Motherwell's Minstrelsy, p. 374; Motherwell's MS., p. 448.
1
Her mother died when she was young,Which gave her cause to make great moan;
Her father married the warst woman
That ever lived in Christendom.
2
She served her with foot and hand,In every thing that she could dee,
Till once, in an unlucky time,
She threw her in ower Craigy's sea.
3
Says, ‘Lie you there, dove Isabel,And all my sorrows lie with thee;
Till Kemp Owyne come ower the sea,
And borrow you with kisses three,
Let all the warld do what they will,
Oh borrowed shall you never be!’
4
Her breath grew strang, her hair grew lang,And twisted thrice about the tree,
And all the people, far and near,
Thought that a savage beast was she.
5
These news did come to Kemp Owyne,Where he lived, far beyond the sea;
He hasted him to Craigy's sea,
And on the savage beast lookd he.
6
Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,And twisted was about the tree,
And with a swing she came about:
‘Come to Craigy's sea, and kiss with me.
7
‘Here is a royal belt,’ she cried,‘That I have found in the green sea;
And while your body it is on,
Drawn shall your blood never be;
But if you touch me, tail or fin,
I vow my belt your death shall be.’
8
He stepped in, gave her a kiss,The royal belt he brought him wi;
Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,
And twisted twice about the tree,
And with a swing she came about:
‘Come to Craigy's sea, and kiss with me.
9
‘Here is a royal ring,’ she said,‘That I have found in the green sea;
And while your finger it is on,
Drawn shall your blood never be;
But if you touch me, tail or fin,
I swear my ring your death shall be.’
10
He stepped in, gave her a kiss,The royal ring he brought him wi;
Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,
And twisted ance about the tree,
And with a swing she came about:
‘Come to Craigy's sea, and kiss with me.
11
‘Here is a royal brand,’ she said,‘That I have found in the green sea;
And while your body it is on,
Drawn shall your blood never be;
But if you touch me, tail or fin,
I swear my brand your death shall be.’
12
He stepped in, gave her a kiss,The royal brand he brought him wi;
Her breath was sweet, her hair grew short,
And twisted nane about the tree,
And smilingly she came about,
As fair a woman as fair could be.
| The English and Scottish Popular Ballads | |