Willie’s Lyke-Wake
No: 25; variant: 25B
- 'O Willie my son, what makes you sae sad?'
As the sun shines over the valley
'I lye sarely sick for the love of a maid.'
Amang the blue flowers and the yellow
- 'Were she an heiress or lady sae free,
That she will take no pity on thee?
- 'O Willie, my son, I'll learn you a wile,
How this fair maid ye may beguile.
- 'Ye'll gie the principal bellman a groat,
And ye'll gar him cry your dead lyke-wake.'
- Then he gae the principal bellman a groat,
He bade him cry his dead lyke-wake.
- This maiden she stood till she heard it a',
And down frae her cheeks the tears did fa.
- She is hame to her father's ain bower:
'I'll gang to yon lyke-wake ae single hour.'
- 'Ye must take with you your ain brither John;
It's not meet for maidens to venture alone.'
- 'I'll not take with me my brither John,
But I'll gang along, myself all alone.'
- When she came to young Willie's yate,
His seven brithers were standing thereat.
- Then they did conduct her into the ha,
Amang the weepers and merry mourners a'.
- When she lifted up the covering sae red,
With melancholy countenance to look on the dead,
- He's taen her in his arms, laid her gainst the wa,
Says, 'Lye ye here, fair maid, till day.'
- 'O spare me, O spare me, but this single night,
And let me gang hame a maiden sae bright.'
- 'Tho all your kin were about your bower,
Ye shall not be a maiden ae single hour.
- 'Fair maid, ye came here without a convoy,
But ye shall return wi a horse and a boy.
- 'Ye came here a maiden sae mild,
But ye shall gae hame a wedded wife with child.'