The Oxford Book of Ballads

2. Tam Lin

I

‘O I forbid you, maidens a’,
That wear gowd on your hair,
To come or gae by Carterhaugh,
For young Tam Lin is there.

II

‘For even about that knight’s middle
O’ siller bells are nine;
And nae maid comes to Carterhaugh
And a maid returns again.’

III

Fair Janet sat in her bonny bower,
Sewing her silken seam,
And wish’d to be in Carterhaugh
Amang the leaves sae green.

IV

She’s lat her seam fa’ to her feet,
The needle to her tae[12],
And she’s awa’ to Carterhaugh
As fast as she could gae.

V

And she has kilted her green kirtle
A little abune her knee;
And she has braided her yellow hair
A little abune her bree[13];
And she has gaen for Carterhaugh
As fast as she can hie.

VI

She hadna pu’d a rose, a rose,
A rose but barely ane,
When up and started young Tam Lin;
Says, ‘Ladye, let alane.

VII

‘What gars ye pu’ the rose, Janet?
What gars ye break the tree?
What gars ye come to Carterhaugh
Without the leave o’ me?’

VIII

‘Weel may I pu’ the rose,’ she says,
‘And ask no leave at thee;
For Carterhaugh it is my ain,
My daddy gave it me.’

IX

He’s ta’en her by the milk-white hand,
And by the grass-green sleeve,
He’s led her to the fairy ground
At her he ask’d nae leave.

X

Janet has kilted her green kirtle
A little abune her knee,
And she has snooded her yellow hair
A little abune her bree,
And she is to her father’s ha’
As fast as she can hie.

XI

But when she came to her father’s ha’,
She look’d sae wan and pale,
They thought the lady had gotten a fright,
Or with sickness she did ail.

XII

Four and twenty ladies fair
Were playing at the ba’,
And out then came fair Janet
Ance the flower amang them a’.

XIII

Four and twenty ladies fair
Were playing at the chess,
And out then came fair Janet
As green as onie glass.

XIV

Out then spak’ an auld grey knight
’Lay owre the Castle wa’,
And says, ‘Alas, fair Janet!
For thee we’ll be blamÈd a’.’

XV

‘Hauld your tongue, ye auld-faced knight,
Some ill death may ye die!
Father my bairn on whom I will,
I’ll father nane on thee.

XVI

‘O if my love were an earthly knight,
As he is an elfin gay,
I wadna gie my ain true-love
For nae laird that ye hae.

XVII

‘The steed that my true-love rides on
Is fleeter nor the wind;
Wi’ siller he is shod before,
Wi’ burning gold behind.’

XVIII

Out then spak’ her brither dear—
He meant to do her harm:
‘There grows an herb in Carterhaugh
Will twine[14] you an’ the bairn.’

XIX

Janet has kilted her green kirtle
A little abune her knee,
And she has snooded her yellow hair
A little abune her bree,
And she’s awa’ to Carterhaugh
As fast as she can hie.

XX

She hadna pu’d a leaf, a leaf,
A leaf but only twae,
When up and started young Tam Lin,
Says, ‘Ladye, thou’s pu’ nae mae.

XXI

‘How dar’ ye pu’ a leaf?’ he says,
‘How dar’ ye break the tree?
How dar’ ye scathe[15] my babe,’ he says,
‘That’s between you and me?’

XXII

‘O tell me, tell me, Tam,’ she says,
‘For His sake that died on tree,
If ye were ever in holy chapel
Or sain’d[16] in Christentie?’

XXIII

‘The truth I’ll tell to thee, Janet,
Ae word I winna lee;
A knight me got, and a lady me bore,
As well as they did thee.

XXIV

‘Roxburgh he was my grandfather,
Took me with him to bide;
And ance it fell upon a day,
As hunting I did ride,

XXV

‘There ca

[12] tae = toe.

[13] bree = eye-brow.

[14] twine = part, sunder.

[15] scathe = harm.

[16] sain’d = blessed, baptised.

[17] snell = keen, cold.

[18] teind = tithe.

[19] borrow = ransom.

[20] uncouth = unknown.

[21] aske = newt, lizard.

[22] make = mate, husband.

[23] loot = let.

[24] eldritch = unearthly.

[25] tree = wood.

[26] coft = bought.

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