Sweet Willie and Fair Annie
LORD THOMAS AND FAIR ANNET—E
[_]
Jamieson's Popular Ballads, I, 22, from the recitation of
Mrs W. Arrot, of Aberbrothick, as learned by her when a
child from an elderly maid-servant.
1
Sweet Willie and Fair Annie
Sat a' day on a hill,
And though they had sitten seven year,
They neer wad had their fill.
2
Sweet Willie said a word in haste,
And Annie took it ill:
‘I winna wed a tocherless maid,
Against my parents' will.’
3
‘Ye're come o the rich, Willie,
And I'm come o the poor;
I'm oer laigh to be your bride,
And I winna be your whore.’
4
O Annie she's gane till her bower,
And Willie down the den,
And he's come till his mither's bower,
By the lei light o the moon.
5
‘O sleep ye, wake ye, mither?’ he says,
‘Or are ye the bower within?’
‘I sleep richt aft, I wake richt aft;
What want ye wi me, son?
6
‘Whare hae ye been a' night, Willie?
O wow, ye've tarried lang!’
‘I have been courtin Fair Annie,
And she is frae me gane.
7
‘There is twa maidens in a bower;
Which o them sall I bring hame?
The nut-brown maid has sheep and cows,
And Fair Annie has nane.’
8
‘It's an ye wed the nut-brown maid,
I'll heap gold wi my hand;
But an ye wed her Fair Annie,
I'll straik it wi a wand.
9
‘The nut-brown maid has sheep and cows,
And Fair Annie has nane;
And Willie, for my benison,
The nut-brown maid bring hame.’
10
‘O I sall wed the nut-brown maid,
And I sall bring her hame;
But peace nor rest between us twa,
Till death sinder's again.
11
‘But, alas, alas!’ says Sweet Willie,
‘O fair is Annie's face!’
‘But what's the matter, my son Willie?
She has nae ither grace.’
12
‘Alas, alas!’ says Sweet Willie,
‘But white is Annie's hand!’
‘But what's the matter, my son Willie?
She hasna a fur o land.’
13
‘Sheep will die in cots, mither,
And owsen die in byre;
And what's this warld's wealth to me,
An I get na my heart's desire?
14
‘Whare will I get a bonny boy,
That wad fain win hose and shoon,
That will rin to Fair Annie's bower,
Wi the lei light o the moon?
15
‘Ye'll tell her to come to Willie's weddin,
The morn at twal at noon;
Ye'll tell her to come to Willie's weddin,
The heir o Duplin town.
16
‘She manna put on the black, the black,
Nor yet the dowie brown,
But the scarlet sae red, and the kerches sae white,
And her bonny locks hangin down.’
17
He is on to Annie's bower,
And tirled at the pin,
And wha was sae ready as Annie hersel
To open and let him in.
18
‘Ye are bidden come to Willie's weddin,
The morn at twal at noon;
Ye are bidden come to Willie's weddin,
The heir of Duplin town.
19
‘Ye manna put on the black, the black,
Nor yet the dowie brown,
But the scarlet sae red, and the kerches sae white,
And your bonny locks hangin down.’
20
‘It's I will come to Willie's weddin,
The morn at twal at noon;
It's I will come to Willie's weddin,
But I rather the mass had been mine.
21
‘Maidens, to my bower come,
And lay gold on my hair;
And whare ye laid ae plait before,
Ye'll now lay ten times mair.
22
‘Taylors, to my bower come,
And mak to me a weed;
And smiths, unto my stable come,
And shoe to me a steed.’
23
At every tate o Annie's horse mane
There hang a silver bell,
And there came a wind out frae the south,
Which made them a' to knell.
24
And whan she came to Mary-kirk,
And sat down in the deas,
The light that came frae Fair Annie
Enlightend a' the place.
25
But up and stands the nut-brown bride,
Just at her father's knee:
‘O wha is this, my father dear,
That blinks in Willie's ee?’
‘O this is Willie's first true-love,
Before he loved thee.’
26
‘If that be Willie's first true-love,
He might hae latten me be;
She has as much gold on ae finger
As I'll wear till I die.
27
‘O whare got ye that water, Annie,
That washes you sae white?’
‘I got it in my mither's wambe,
Whare ye'll neer get the like.
28
‘For ye've been washd in Dunny's well,
And dried on Dunny's dyke,
And a' the water in the sea
Will never wash ye white.’
29
Willie's taen a rose out o his hat,
Laid it in Annie's lap:
[OMITTED]
‘Hae, wear it for my sake.’
30
‘Tak up and wear your rose, Willie,
And wear't wi mickle care;
For the woman sall never bear a son
That will make my heart sae sair.’
31
Whan night was come, and day was gane,
And a' man boun to bed,
Sweet Willie and the nut-brown bride
In their chamber were laid.
32
They werena weel lyen down,
And scarcely fa'n asleep,
Whan up and stands she Fair Annie,
Just up at Willie's feet.
33
‘Weel brook ye o your brown, brown bride,
Between ye and the wa;
And sae will I o my winding sheet,
That suits me best ava.
34
‘Weel brook ye o your brown, brown bride,
Between ye and the stock;
And sae will I o my black, black kist,
That has neither key nor lock.’
35
Sad Willie raise, put on his claise,
Drew till him his hose and shoon,
And he is on to Annie's bower,
By the lei light o the moon.
36
The firsten bower that he came till,
There was right dowie wark;
Her mither and her three sisters
Were makin to Annie a sark.
37
The nexten bower that he came till,
There was right dowie cheir;
Her father and her seven brethren
Were makin to Annie a bier.
38
The lasten bower that he came till,
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
And Fair Annie streekit there.
39
He's lifted up the coverlet,
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
40
‘It's I will kiss your bonny cheek,
And I will kiss your chin,
And I will kiss your clay-cald lip,
But I'll never kiss woman again.
41
‘The day ye deal at Annie's burial
The bread but and the wine;
Before the morn at twall o'clock,
They'll deal the same at mine.’
42
The tane was buried in Mary's kirk,
The tither in Mary's quire,
And out o the tane there grew a birk,
And out o the tither a brier.
43
And ay they grew, and ay they drew,
Untill they twa did meet,
And every ane that past them by
Said, Thae's been lovers sweet!
