The Beggar-Laddie
No: 280; variant: 280E
- 'TWAS in the merry month of June,
When woods and gardens were all in bloom,
When woods and gardens were all in bloom,
And Ph'qbus shining clearly.
- Did you not see your shepherd-swain,
Feeding his flocks upon the plain,
Feeding his flocks all one by one,
And keeping them together?
- Did you not see yon bonny green,
Where dukes and lords and my love hath been,
Where dukes and lords and my love hath been,
And Ph'qbus shining clearly?
- 'O shepherd, shepherd, tell me indeed
Which is the way you dou win your bread,
Which is the way you dou win your bread,
When feeding you give over?'
- 'By making spindles I win my bread,
By turning whorles in time of need,
By turning whorles in time of need,
Say, lassy, can you love me?'
- 'I could love you manifold,
As Jacob loved Rachel of old,
As Jacob loved Rachel of old,
So dearly could I love you.'
- 'You must cast off these robes of silk,
And put about my shepherd's cloak,
And you must walk down at my back,
Like a shepherd's bonny lassie.'
- She has cast off her robes of silk,
And put about his shepherd's cloak,
And she has walkd down at his back,
Like a shepherd's bonny lassie.
- O they walked up, and they walked down,
Till this fair maiden she's wearyed grown;
Says she, My dear, we'll go to some town,
And there tak up our lodgings.
- O whan they cam to his father's gate,
Sae loudly, loudly as he did rap;
Says she, My dear, we'll be found in fault
For rapping here sae boldly.
- But whan they cam to his father's hall,
O loud, loud laughter they laughed all,
Saying, Brother, I wish we had herded all,
Ye've got sic an a bonny lassie.
- Now this young couple they were wed,
And all the way the flowers were spread,
For in disguise they were married;
She's now the young squire's lady.