Original

Willy's ta en him oer the faem,

Hes wooed a wife, and brought her hame;

Hes wooed her for her yellow hair,

But his mother wrought her mickle care;

And mickle dolour gar'd her dree,

For lighter she can never be;

But in her bower she sits wi' pain,

And Willy mourns oer her in vain.

And to his mother he has gane,

That vile rank witch, o' vilest kind!

He says—"My lady has a cup,

Wi' gowd and silver set about;

This goodly gift shall be your ain,

And let her be lighter o' her young bairn."—

(faem, sea. dree, suffer.)

"Of her young bairn she's ne'er be lighter,

Nor in her bower to shine the brighter:

But she shall die, and turn to clay,

And you shall wed another may."—

"Another may I'll never wed,

Another may I'll ne'er bring hame:"—

But, sighing, says that weary wight—

"I wish my life were at an end!"

"Yet do ye unto your mother again,

That vile rank witch, o' vilest kind!

And say, your lady has a steed,

The like o' him's no in the land o' Leed.

"For he is golden shod before,

And he is golden shod behind;

At ilka tett of that horse's mane,

There's a golden chess, and a bell to ring.

This goodly gift shall be your ain,

And let me be lighter o' my young bairn."—

"Of her young bairn she's ne'er be lighter,

Nor in her bower to shine the brighter;

But she shall die, and turn to clay,

And ye shall wed another may."—

"Another may I'll never wed,

Another may I'll ne'er bring hame:"—

(tett, tuft.)

Willy's Lady

But, sighing, said that weary wight—

"I wish my life were at an end!"—

"Yet do ye unto your mother again,

That vile rank witch, o' vilest kind!

And say your lady has a girdle,

It's of red gowd unto the middle;

"And aye, at every siller hem

Hang fifty siller bells and ten;

That goodly gift [shall] be her ain,

And let me be lighter o' my young bairn."—

"Of her young bairn she's ne'er be lighter,

Nor in her bower to shine the brighter;

For she shall die, and turn to clay,

And you shall wed another may."—

"Another may I'll never wed,

Another may I'll ne'er bring hame:"—

But, sighing, said that weary wight—

"I wish my days were at an end!"—

Then out and spake the Billy Blind,

(He spake aye in good time:)

"Ye do ye to the market-place,

And there ye buy a loaf of wax;

Ye shape it bairn and bairnly like,

And in it twa glassen een ye put;

"And bid her come to your boy's christening,

Then notice weel what she shall do;

And do you stand a little forbye,

And listen weel what she shall say."

[He did him to the market-place,

And there he bought a loaf o' wax;

He shaped it bairn and bairnly like,

And in twa glazen een he pat;

He did him till his mother then,

And bade her to his boy's christening;

And he did stand a little forbye,

And noticed well what she did say.

"O wha has loosed the nine witch knots,

That was amang that lady's locks?

And wha's ta'en out the kaims o' care,

That hang amang that lady's hair?

"And wha's ta'en down the bush o' woodbine,

That hung between her bower and mine?

And wha has kill'd the master kid,

That ran beneath that lady's bed?

And wha has loosed her left foot shee,

And letten that lady lighter be?"

O, Willy's loosed the nine witch knots,

That was amang that lady's locks;

And Willy's ta'en out the kaims o' care,

That hang amang that lady's hair;

(shee, shoe.)

The DÆmon Lover ss'

And Willy's ta'en down the bush o' woodbine,

Hung atween her bower and thine

And Willy has kill'd the master kid,

That ran beneath that lady's bed;

And Willy has loosed her left foot shee,

And letten his lady lighter be;

And now he's gotten a bonny young son,

And mickle grace be him upon.