Geordie
No: 209; variant: 209I
- 'I choosed my love at the bonny yates of Gight,
Where the birks an the flowers spring bony,
But pleasures I had never one,
But crosses very mony.
- 'First I was mistress of Pitfan
And madam of Kincraigie,
And now my name is bonny Lady Anne,
And I am Gight's own lady.
- 'He does not use me as his wife,
Nor cherish me as his lady,
But day by day he saddles the grey,
And rides off to Bignet's lady.'
- Bignet he got word of this,
That Gight lay wi his lady;
He swore a vow, and kept it true,
To be revengd on 's body.
- 'Where will I get a bonny boy
Will run my errand shortly,
That woud run on to the bonny yates o Gight
Wi a letter to my lady?'
- Gight has written a broad letter,
And seald it soon and ready,
And sent it on to Gight's own yates,
For to acquaint his lady.
- The first of it she looked on,
O dear! she smiled bonny;
But as she read it till an end
The tears were thick an mony.
- 'Come saddle to me the black,' she says,
'Come saddle him soon and shortly,
Ere I ride down to Edinburgh town,
Wi a lang side sark to Geordy.'
- When she came to the boat of Leith,
I wad she did na tarry;
She gave the boatman a guinea o gold
To boat her oer the ferry.
- As she gaed oer the pier of Leith,
Among the peerls many,
She dealt the crowns and dukedoons,
Bade them a' pray for Geordy.
- As she gaed up the tolbooth-stair,
Among the nobles many,
Every one sat hat on head,
But hat in hand stood Geordy.
- 'Has he brunt? or has he slain?
Or has he robbe:d any?
Or has he done any other crime,
That gars you head my Geordy?'
- 'He hasna brunt, he hasna slain,
He hasna robbed any;
But he has done another crime,
For which he will pay dearly.'
- In it comes First Lord Judge,
Says, George, I'm sorry for you;
You must prepare yourself for death,
For there'll be nae mercy for you.
- In it comes his Second Lord Judge,
Says, George I'm sorry for you;
You must prepare yourself for death,
For there'll be nae mercy for you.
- Out it speaks Gight's lady herself,
And vow, but she spake wordy!
'Is there not a lord among you all
Can plead a word for Geordy?'
- Out it speaks the first Lord Judge:
'What lady's that amang you
That speaks to us so boldly here,
And bids us plead for Geordy?'
- Out then spake a friend, her own,
And says, It's Gight's own lady,
Who is come to plead her own lord's cause,
To which she's true and steady.
- The queen, looking oer her shott-window,
Says, Ann, I'm soory for you;
If ye'll tell down ten thousand crowns,
Ye shall get home your Geordy.
- She's taen the hat out of his hand,
And dear! it set her bonny;
She's beggd the red gold them among,
And a' to borrow Geordy.
- She turnd her right and round about
Among the nobles many;
Some gave her dollars, some her crowns,
And some gave guineas many.
- She spread her mantle on the floor,
O dear! she spread it bonny,
And she told down that noble sum;
Says, Put on your hat, my Geordy.
- But out it speaks him gleid Argyle,
Says, Woe be to your body!
I wish that Gight had lost his head,
I should enjoyd his lady.
- She looked oer her left shoulder,
A proud look and a saucy;
Says, Woe be to you, gleid Argyle!
Ye'll neer be like my Geordy.
- 'You'll hae me to some writer's house,
And that baith seen and shortly,
That I may write down Gight's lament,
And how I borrowed Geordy.'
- When she was in her saddle set,
And aye behind her Geordy,
Birds neer sang blyther in the bush
Than she behind her Geordy.
- 'O bonny George, but I love thee well,
And O sae dear as I love thee!
The sun and moon and firmament above
Bear witness how I love thee!'
- 'O bonny Ann, but I love thee well,
And O but sae dear as I love thee!
The birds in the air, that fly together pair and pair,
Bear witness, Ann, that I love thee!'