Delphi Poetry Anthology: The World's Greatest Poems (Delphi Poets Series Book 50) (60 page)
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Authors: Homer,William Shakespeare
Traditional Ballads
“O WHA will shoe my fu fair foot?
And wha will glove my hand?
And wha will lace my middle jimp,
Wi the new made London band?
“And wha will kaim my yellow hair,
5
Wi the new made silver kaim?
And wha will father my young son,
Till Love Gregor come hame?”
“Your father will shoe your fu fair foot,
Your mother will glove your hand;
10
Your sister will lace your middle jimp
Wi the new made London band.
“Your brother will kaim your yellow hair,
Wi the new made silver kaim;
And the king of heaven will father your bairn,
15
Till Love Gregor come haim.”
“But I will get a bonny boat,
And I will sail the sea,
For I maun gang to Love Gregor,
Since he canno come hame to me.”
20
O she has gotten a bonny boat,
And sailld the sa’t sea fame;
She langd to see her ain true-love,
Since he could no come hame.
“O row your boat, my mariners,
25
And bring me to the land,
For yonder I see my love’s castle,
Closs by the sa’t sea strand.”
She has taen her young son in her arms,
And to the door she’s gone,
30
And lang she’s knocked and sair she ca’d,
But answer got she none.
“O open the door, Love Gregor,” she says,
“O open, and let me in;
For the win blaws thro my yellow hair,
35
And the rain draps oer my chin.”
“Awa, awa, ye ill woman,
You’r nae come here for good;
You’r but some witch, or wile warlock,
Or mer-maid of the flood.”
40
“I am neither a witch nor a wile warlock,
Nor mer-maid of the sea,
I am Fair Annie of Rough Royal;
O open the door to me.”
“Gin ye be Annie of Rough Royal —
45
And I trust ye are not she —
Now tell me some of the love-tokens
That past between you and me.”
“O dinna you mind now, Love Gregor,
When we sat at the wine,
50
How we changed the rings frae our fingers?
And I can show thee thine.
“O yours was good, and good enneugh,
But ay the best was mine;
For yours was o the good red goud,
55
But mine o the dimonds fine.
“But open the door now, Love Gregor,
O open the door I pray,
For your young son that is in my arms
Will be dead ere it be day.”
60
“Awa, awa, ye ill woman,
For here ye shanno win in;
Gae drown ye in the raging sea,
Or hang on the gallows-pin.”
When the cock had crawn, and day did dawn,
65
And the sun began to peep,
Then it raise him Love Gregor,
And sair, sair did he weep.
“O I dreamd a dream, my mother dear,
The thoughts o it gars me greet,
70
That Fair Annie of Rough Royal
Lay cauld dead at my feet.”
“Gin it be for Annie of Rough Royal
That ye make a’ this din,
She stood a’ last night at this door,
75
But I trow she wan no in.”
“O wae betide ye, ill woman,
An ill dead may ye die!
That ye woudno open the door to her,
Nor yet woud waken me.”
80
O he has gone down to yon shore-side,
As fast as he could fare;
He saw Fair Annie in her boat,
But the wind it tossed her sair.
And “Hey, Annie!” and “How, Annie!
85
O Annie, winna ye bide?”
But ay the mair that he cried Annie,
The braider grew the tide.
And “Hey, Annie!” and “How, Annie!
Dear Annie, speak to me!”
90
But ay the louder he cried Annie,
The louder roard the sea.
The wind blew loud, the sea grew rough,
And dashd the boat on shore;
Fair Annie floats on the raging sea,
95
But her young son raise no more.
Love Gregor tare his yellow hair,
And made a heavy moan;
Fair Annie’s corpse lay at his feet,
But his bonny young son was gone.
100
O cherry, cherry was her cheek,
And gowden was her hair,
But clay cold were her rosy lips,
Nae spark of life was there.
And first he’s kissd her cherry cheek,
105
And neist he’s kissed her chin;
And saftly pressed her rosey lips,
But there was nae breath within.
“O wae betide my cruel mother,
And an ill dead may she die!
110
For she turnd my true-love frae my door,
When she came sae far to me.”
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Traditional Ballads
IT was in and about the Martinmas time,
When the green leaves were a falling,
That Sir John Græme, in the West Country,
Fell in love with Barbara Allan.
He sent his man down through the town,
5
To the place where she was dwelling:
“O haste and come to my master dear,
Gin ye be Barbara Allan.”
O hooly, hooly rose she up,
To the place where he was lying,
10
And when she drew the curtain by,
“Young man, I think you’re dying.”
“O it’s I’m sick, and very, very sick,
And ’tis a’ for Barbara Allan:”
“O the better for me ye’s never be,
15
Tho your heart’s blood were a spilling.
“O dinna ye mind, young man,” said she,
“When ye was in the tavern a drinking,
That ye made the healths gae round and round,
And slighted Barbara Allan?”
20
He turned his face unto the wall,
And death was with him dealing:
“Adieu, adieu, my dear friends all,
And be kind to Barbara Allan.”
And slowly, slowly raise she up,
25
And slowly, slowly left him,
And sighing said, she coud not stay,
Since death of life had reft him.
She had not gane a mile but twa,
When she heard the dead-bell ringing,
30
And every jow that the dead-bell gied,
It cry’d, Woe to Barbara Allan!
“O mother, mother, make my bed!
O make it saft and narrow!
Since my love died for me to-day,
35
I’ll die for him to-morrow.”
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Traditional Ballads
“O WELL’S me o my gay goss-hawk,
That he can speak and flee;
He’ll carry a letter to my love,
Bring back another to me.”
“O how can I your true-love ken,
5
Or how can I her know?
Whan frae her mouth I never heard couth,
Nor wi my eyes her saw.”
“O well sal ye my true-love ken,
As soon as you her see;
10
For, of a’ the flowrs in fair Englan,
The fairest flowr is she.
“At even at my love’s bowr-door
There grows a bowing birk,
An sit ye down and sing thereon,
15
As she gangs to the kirk.
“An four-and-twenty ladies fair
Will wash and go to kirk,
But well shall ye my true-love ken,
For she wears goud on her skirt.
20
“An four and twenty gay ladies
Will to the mass repair,
But well sal ye my true-love ken,
For she wears goud on her hair.”
O even at that lady’s bowr-door
25
There grows a bowin birk,
An he set down and sang thereon,
As she ged to the kirk.
“O eet and drink, my marys a’,
The wine flows you among,
30
Till I gang to my shot-window,
An hear yon bonny bird’s song.
“Sing on, sing on, my bonny bird,
The song ye sang the streen,
For I ken by your sweet singin
35
You’re frae my true-love sen.”
O first he sang a merry song,
An then he sang a grave,
An then he peckd his feathers gray,
To her the letter gave.
40
Ha, there’s a letter frae your love,
He says he sent you three;
He canno wait your love langer,
But for your sake he’ll die.
“He bids you write a letter to him;
45
He says he’s sent you five;
He canno wait your love langer,
Tho you’re the fairest woman alive.”
“Ye bid him bake his bridal-bread,
And brew his bridal-ale,
50
An I’ll meet him in fair Scotlan
Lang, lang or it be stale.”
She’s doen her to her father dear,
Fa’n low down on her knee:
“A boon, a boon, my father dear,
55
I pray you, grant it me.”
“Ask on, ask on, my daughter,
An granted it sal be;
Except ae squire in fair Scotlan,
An him you sall never see.”
60
“The only boon, my father dear,
That I do crave of thee,
Is, gin I die in southin lands,
In Scotlan to bury me.
“An the firstin kirk that ye come till,
65
Ye gar the bells be rung,
An the nextin kirk that ye come till,
Ye gar the mess be sung.
“An the thirdin kirk that ye come till,
You deal gold for my sake,
70
An the fourthin kirk that ye come till,
You tarry there till night.”
She is doen her to her bigly bowr,
As fast as she coud fare,
An she has tane a sleepy draught,
75
That she had mixed wi care.
She’s laid her down upon her bed,
An soon she’s fa’n asleep,
And soon oer every tender limb
Cauld death began to creep.
80
Whan night was flown, an day was come,
Nae ane that did her see
But thought she was as surely dead
As ony lady coud be.
Her father an her brothers dear
85
Gard make to her a bier;
The tae half was o guid red gold,
The tither o silver clear.
Her mither an her sisters fair
Gard work for her a sark;
90
The tae half was o cambrick fine,
The tither o needle wark.
The firstin kirk that they came till,
They gard the bells be rung,
An the nextin kirk that they came till,
95
They gard the mess be sung.
The thirdin kirk that they came till,
They dealt gold for her sake,
An the fourthin kirk that they came till,
Lo, there they met her make!
100
“Lay down, lay down the bigly bier.
Lat me the dead look on;”
Wi cheery cheeks and ruby lips
She lay an smil’d on him.
“O ae sheave o your bread, true-love,
105
An ae glass o your wine,
For I hae fasted for your sake
These fully days is nine.
“Gang hame, gang hame, my seven bold brothers,
Gang hame and sound your horn;
110
An ye may boast in southin lans
Your sister’s playd you scorn.”
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
