  IYoung Bekie was as brave a knight As ever sail’d the sea; And he’s doen him to the court of France, To serve for meat and fee. IIHe had nae been i’ the court of France A twelvemonth nor sae long, Til he fell in love with the king’s daughter, And was thrown in prison strong. IIIThe king he had but ae daughter, Burd Isbel was her name; And she has to the prison-house gane, To hear the prisoner’s mane. IV‘O gin a lady wou’d borrow At her stirrup-foot I wou’d rin; Or gin a widow wou’d borrow me, I wou’d swear to be her son. V‘Or gin a virgin wou’d borrow me, I wou’d wed her wi’ a ring; I’d gie her ha’s, I’d gie her bowers, The bonny towrs o’ Linne.’ VIO barefoot, barefoot gaed she but And barefoot came she ben It was no for want o’ hose and shoone, Nor time to put them on; VIIBut a’ for fear that her father dear Had heard her making din: She’s stown the keys o’ the prison-house door And latten the prisoner gang. VIIIO whan she saw him, Young Bekie, Her heart was wondrous sair! For the mice but and the bold rottons Had eaten his yallow hair. IXShe’s gi’en him a shaver for his beard, A comber till his hair, Five hunder pound in his pocket, To spen’ and nae to spair. XShe’s gi’en him a steed was good in need, An’ a saddle o’ royal bone A leash o’ hounds o’ ae litter, And Hector callÈd one. XIAtween this twa a vow was made, ’Twas made full solemnly. That or three years was come an’ gane, Well married they should be. XIIHe had nae been in ’s ain country A twelvemonth till an end, Till he’s forc’d to marry a duke’s daughter, Or than XIII‘Ohon, alas!’ says Young Bekie, ‘I know not what to dee; For I canno win to Burd Isbel, An’ she kensnae to come to me.’ XIVO it fell once upon a day Burd Isbel fell asleep, And up it starts the Billy Blind And stood at her bed-feet. XV‘O waken, waken, Burd Isbel, How can you sleep so soun’, Whan this is Bekie’s wedding day, An’ the marriage gaÏn on? XVI‘Ye do ye to your mither’s bowr, Think neither sin nor shame; An’ ye tak twa o’ your mither’s marys To keep ye frae thinking lang. XVII‘Ye dress yoursel’ in the red scarlÈt, An’ your marys in dainty green, An’ ye pit girdles about your middles Wou’d buy an earldome. XVIII‘O ye gang down by yon sea-side, An’ down by yon sea-stran’; Sae bonny will the Hollan’s boats Come rowin’ till your han’. XIX‘Ye set your milke-white foot abord, Cry, Hail ye, Domine! An’ I shal be the steerer o’t, To row you o’er the sea.’ XXShe’s tane her till her mither’s bowr, Thought neither sin nor shame, And she took twa o’ her mither’s marys, To keep her frae thinking lang. XXIShe dress’d hersel’ i’ the red scarlÈt, Her marys i’ dainty green, And they pat girdles about their middles Wou’d buy an earldome. XXIIAnd they gid down by yon sea-side, And down by yon sea-stran’; Sae bonny did the Hollan’s boats Come rowin’ to their han’. XXIIIShe set her milke-white foot on board, Cried, Hail ye, Domine! And the Billy Blind was the steerer o’t, To row her o’er the sea. XXIVWhan she came to youn |
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