Delphi Poetry Anthology: The World's Greatest Poems (Delphi Poets Series Book 50) (59 page)

Babylon; or, The Bonnie Banks o Fordie

Traditional Ballads

THERE were three ladies lived in a bower,
 
Eh vow bonnie
And they went out to pull a flower,
 
On the bonnie banks o Fordie

They hadna pu’ed a flower but ane,
  
5
When up started to them a banisht man.

He’s taen the first sister by her hand,
And he’s turned her round and made her stand.

“It’s whether will ye be a rank robber’s wife,
Or will ye die by my wee pen-knife?”
  
10

“It’s I’ll not be a rank robber’s wife,
But I’ll rather die by your wee pen-knife.”

He’s killed this may, and he’s laid her by,
For to bear the red rose company.

He’s taken the second ane by the hand,
  
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And he’s turned her round and made her stand.

“It’s whether will ye be a rank robber’s wife,
Or will ye die by my wee pen-knife?”

“I’ll not be a rank robber’s wife,
But I’ll rather die by your wee pen-knife.”
  
20

He’s killed this may, and he’s laid her by,
For to bear the red rose company.

He’s taken the youngest ane by the hand,
And he’s turned her round and made her stand.

Says, “Will ye be a rank robber’s wife,
  
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Or will ye die by my wee pen-knife?”

“I’ll not be a rank robber’s wife,
Nor will I die by your wee pen-knife.

“For I hae a brother in this wood,
And gin ye kill me, it’s he’ll kill thee.”
  
30

“What’s thy brother’s name? come tell to me.”
“My brother’s name is Baby Lon.”

“O sister, sister, what have I done!
O have I done this ill to thee!

“O since I’ve done this evil deed,
  
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Good sall never be seen o me.”

He’s taken out his wee pen-knife,
And he’s twyned himsel o his ain sweet life.

List of Poems in Alphabetical Order

List of Poets in Alphabetical Order

Hind Horn

Traditional Ballads

IN Scotland there was a babie born,
And his name it was called young Hind Horn.
 
Lilie lal, etc. With a fal lal, etc.

He sent a letter to our king
That he was in love with his daughter Jean.
  
5

He’s gien to her a silver wand,
With seven living lavrocks sitting thereon.

She’s gien to him a diamond ring,
With seven bright diamonds set therein.

“When this ring grows pale and wan,
  
10
You may know by it my love is gane.”

One day as he looked his ring upon,
He saw the diamonds pale and wan.

He left the sea and came to land,
And the first that he met was an old beggar man.
  
15

“What news, what news?” said young Hind Horn;
“No news, no news,” said the old beggar man.

“No news,” said the beggar, “no news at a’,
But there’s a wedding in the king’s ha.

“But there is a wedding in the king’s ha,
  
20
That has halden these forty days and twa.”

“Will ye lend me your begging coat?
And I’ll lend you my scarlet cloak.

“Will you lend me your beggar’s rung?
And I’ll gie you my steed to ride upon.
  
25

“Will you lend me your wig o hair,
To cover mine, because it is fair?”

The auld beggar man was bound for the mill,
But young Hind Horn for the king’s hall.

The auld beggar man was bound for to ride,
  
30
But young Hind Horn was bound for the bride.

When he came to the king’s gate,
He sought a drink for Hind Horn’s sake.

The bride came down with a glass of wine,
When he drank out of the glass, and dropt in the ring.
  
35

“O got ye this by sea or land?
Or got ye it off a dead man’s hand?”

“I got not it by sea, I got it by land,
And I got it, madam, out of your own hand.”

“O I’ll cast off my gowns of brown,
  
40
And beg wi you frae town to town.

“O I’ll cast off my gowns of red,
And I’ll beg wi you to win my bread.”

“Ye needna cast off your gowns of brown,
For I’ll make you lady o many a town.
  
45

“Ye needna cast off your gowns of red,
It’s only a sham, the begging o my bread.”

The bridegroom he had wedded the bride,
But young Hind Horn he took her to bed.

List of Poems in Alphabetical Order

List of Poets in Alphabetical Order

Lord Thomas and Fair Annet

Traditional Ballads

LORD THOMAS and Fair Annet
 
Sate a’ day on a hill;
Whan night was cum, and sun was sett,
 
They had not talkt their fill.

Lord Thomas said a word in jest,
  
5
 
Fair Annet took it ill:
“A, I will nevir wed a wife
 
Against my ain friends’ will.”

“Gif ye wull nevir wed a wife,
 
A wife wull neir wed yee:”
  
10
Sae he is hame to tell his mither,
 
And knelt upon his knee.

“O rede, O rede, mither,” he says,
 
“A gude rede gie to mee;
O sall I tak the nut-browne bride,
  
15
 
And let Faire Annet bee?”

“The nut-browne bride haes gowd and gear,
 
Fair Annet she has gat nane;
And the little beauty Fair Annet haes
 
O it wull soon be gane.”
  
20

And he has till his brother gane:
 
“Now, brother, rede ye mee;
A, sall I marrie the nut-browne bride,
 
And let Fair Annet bee?”

“The nut-browne bride has oxen, brother,
  
25
 
The nut-browne bride has kye;
I wad hae ye marrie the nut-browne bride,
 
And cast Fair Annet bye.”

“Her oxen may dye i the house, billie,
 
And her kye into the byre,
  
30
And I sall hae nothing to mysell
 
Bot a fat fadge by the fyre.”

And he has till his sister gane:
 
“Now, sister, rede ye mee;
O sall I marrie the nut-browne bride,
  
35
 
And set Fair Annet free?”

“Ise rede ye tak Fair Annet, Thomas,
 
And let the browne bride alane;
Lest ye sould sigh, and say, Alace,
 
What is this we brought hame!”
  
40

“No, I will tak my mither’s counsel,
 
And marrie me owt o hand;
And I will tak the nut-browne bride,
 
Fair Annet may leive the land.”

Up then rose Fair Annet’s father,
  
45
 
Twa hours or it wer day,
And he is gane into the bower
 
Wherein Fair Annet lay.

“Rise up, rise up, Fair Annet,” he says,
 
“Put on your silken sheene;
  
50
Let us gae to St. Marie’s kirke,
 
And see that rich weddeen.”

“My maides, gae to my dressing-roome,
 
And dress to me my hair;
Whaireir yee laid a plait before,
  
55
 
See yee lay ten times mair.

“My maids, gae to my dressing-room,
 
And dress to me my smock;
The one half is o the holland fine,
 
The other o needle-work.”
  
60

The horse Fair Annet rade upon,
 
He amblit like the wind;
Wi siller he was shod before,
 
Wi burning gowd behind.

Four and twanty siller bells
  
65
 
Wer a’ tyed till his mane,
And yae tift o the norland wind,
 
They tinkled ane by ane.

Four and twanty gay gude knichts
 
Rade by Fair Annet’s side,
  
70
And four and twanty fair ladies,
 
As gin she had bin a bride.

And whan she cam to Marie’s kirk,
 
She sat on Marie’s stean:
The cleading that Fair Annet had on
  
75
 
It skinkled in their een.

And whan she cam into the kirk,
 
She shimmerd like the sun;
The belt that was about her waist
 
Was a’ wi pearles bedone.
  
80

She sat her by the nut-browne bride,
 
And her een they wer sae clear,
Lord Thomas he clean forgat the bride,
 
Whan Fair Annet drew near.

He had a rose into his hand,
  
85
 
He gae it kisses three,
And reaching by the nut-browne bride,
 
Laid it on Fair Annet’s knee.

Up then spak the nut-browne bride,
 
She spak wi meikle spite:
  
90
“And whair gat ye that rose-water,
 
That does mak yee sae white?”

“O I did get the rose-water
 
Whair ye wull neir get nane,
For I did get that very rose-water
  
95
 
Into my mither’s wame.”

The bride she drew a long bodkin
 
Frae out her gay head-gear,
And strake Fair Annet unto the heart,
 
That word spak nevir mair.
  
100

Lord Thomas he saw Fair Annet wex pale,
 
And marvelit what mote bee;
But whan he saw her dear heart’s blude,
 
A’ wood-wroth wexed hee.

He drew his dagger, that was sae sharp,
  
105
 
That was sae sharp and meet,
And drave it into the nut-browne bride,
 
That fell deid at his feit.

“Now stay for me, dear Annet,” he sed,
 
“Now stay, my dear,” he cry’d;
  
110
Then strake the dagger untill his heart,
 
And fell deid by her side.

Lord Thomas was buried without kirkwa,
 
Fair Annet within the quiere,
And o the tane thair grew a birk,
  
115
 
The other a bonny briere.

And ay they grew, and ay they threw,
 
As they wad faine be neare;
And by this ye may ken right weil
 
They were twa luvers deare.
  
120

List of Poems in Alphabetical Order

List of Poets in Alphabetical Order