| |
I
O WILLIE’s large o’ limb and lith, | |
| And come o’ high degree, | |
| And he is gane to Earl Richard, | |
| To serve for meat and fee. | |
| |
II
Earl Richard had but ae daughter, | 5 |
| Fair as a lily-flower, | |
| And they made up their love-contract | |
| Like proper paramour. | |
| |
III
It fell upon a simmer’s nicht, | |
| Whan the leaves were fair and green, | 10 |
| That Willie met his gay ladie | |
| Intil the wood alane. | |
| |
IV
‘O narrow is my gown, Willie, | |
| That wont to be sae wide; | |
| And gane is a’ my fair colour, | 15 |
| That wont to be my pride. | |
| |
V
‘But gin my father should get word | |
| What’s past between us twa, | |
| Before that he should eat or drink, | |
| He’d hang you o’er that wa’. | 20 |
| |
VI
‘But ye’ll come to my bower, Willie, | |
| Just as the sun gaes down, | |
| And kep me in your arms twa, | |
| And latna me fa’ down.’ | |
| |
VII
O whan the sun was now gane down, | 25 |
| He’s doen him till her bower, | |
| And there, by the lee licht o’ the moon, | |
| Her window she lookit o’er. | |
| |
VIII
Intill a robe o’ red scarlèt | |
| She lap, fearless o’ harm; | 30 |
| And Willie was large o’ lith and limb, | |
| And keppit her in his arm. | |
| |
IX
And they’ve gane to the gude green-wood, | |
| And, ere the night was deen, | |
| She’s born to him a bonny young son, | 35 |
| Amang the leaves sae green. | |
| |
X
Whan night was gane, and day was come, | |
| And the sun began to peep, | |
| Up and raise the Earl Richard | |
| Out o’ his drowsy sleep. | 40 |
| |
XI
He’s ca’d upon his merry young men, | |
| By ane, by twa, and by three: | |
| ‘O what’s come o’ my daughter dear, | |
| That she’s nae come to me? | |
| |
XII
‘I dreamt a dreary dream last night, | 45 |
| God grant it come to gude! | |
| I dreamt I saw my daughter dear | |
| Drown in the saut sea flood. | |
| |
XIII
‘But gin my daughter be dead or sick, | |
| Or yet be stown awa’, | 50 |
| I mak a vow, and I’ll keep it true, | |
| I’ll hang ye ane and a’!’ | |
| |
XIV
They sought her back, they sought her fore, | |
| They sought her up and down; | |
| They got her in the gude green-wood, | 55 |
| Nursing her bonny young son. | |
| |
XV
He took the bonny boy in his arms, | |
| And kist him tenderlie; | |
| Says, ‘Though I would your father hang, | |
| Your mother’s dear to me.’ | 60 |
| |
XVI
He kist him o’er and o’er again: | |
| ‘My grandson I thee claim, | |
| And Robin Hood in gude green-wood, | |
| And that shall be your name.’ | |
| |
XVII
And mony ane sings o’ grass, o’ grass, | 65 |
| And mony ane sings o’ corn, | |
| And mony ane sings o’ Robin Hood | |
| Kens little whare he was born. | |
| |
XVIII
It wasna in the ha’, the ha’, | |
| Nor in the painted bower; | 70 |
| But it was in the gude green-wood, | |
| Amang the lily-flower. | |
| | | GLOSS: yelpe] brag. lith] joint. kep] catch. |
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