PR Website

Tam Lin

No: 39; variant: 39E

  1. LADY MARGARET is over gravel green, And over gravel grey, And she's awa to Charteris ha, Lang lang three hour or day.
  2. She hadna pu'd a flower, a flower, A flower but only ane, Till up and started young Tamlin, Says, Lady, let alane.
  3. She hadna pu'd a flower, a flower, A flower but only twa, Till up and started young Tamlene, Atween her and the wa.
  4. 'How daur you pu my flower, madam? How daur ye break my tree? How daur ye come to Charter's ha, Without the leave of me?'
  5. 'Weel I may pu the rose,' she said, 'But I daurna break the tree; And Charter's ha is my father's, And I'm his heir to be.'
  6. 'If Charteris ha be thy father's, I was ance as gude mysell; But as I came in by Lady Kirk, And in by Lady Well,
  7. 'Deep and drowsy was the sleep On my poor body fell; By came the Queen of Faery, Made me with her to dwell.
  8. 'But the morn at een is Halloween, Our fairy foks a' do ride; And she that will her true-love win, At Blackstock she must bide.
  9. 'First let by the black,' he said, 'And syne let by the brown; But when you see the milk-white steed, You'll pull his rider down.
  10. 'You'll pull him into thy arms, Let his bricht bridle fa, And he'll fa low into your arms Like stone in castle's wa.
  11. 'They'll first shape him into your arms An adder or a snake; But hold him fast, let him not go, He'll be your world's make.
  12. 'They'll next shape him into your arms Like a wood black dog to bite; Hold him fast, let him not go, For he'll be your heart's delight.
  13. 'They'll next shape [him] into your arms Like a red-het gaud o airn; But hold him fast, let him not go, He's the father o your bairn.
  14. 'They'll next shape him into your arms Like the laidliest worm of Ind; But hold him fast, let him not go, And cry aye 'Young Tamlin.''
  1. Lady Margaret first let by the black, And syne let by the brown, But when she saw the milk-white steed She pulled the rider down.
  2. She pulled him into her arms, Let his bright bridle fa', And he fell low into her arms, Like stone in castle's wa.
  3. They first shaped him into arms An adder or a snake; But she held him fast, let him not go, For he'd be her warld's make.
  4. They next shaped him into her arms Like a wood black dog to bite; But she held him fast, let him not go, For he'd be her heart's delight.
  5. They next shaped him into her arms Like a red-het gaud o airn; But she held him fast, let him not go, He'd be father o her bairn.
  6. They next shaped him into her arms Like the laidliest worm of Ind; But she held him fast, let him not go, And cried aye 'Young Tamlin.'
  7. The Queen of Faery turned her horse about, Says, Adieu to thee, Tamlene! For if I had kent what I ken this night, If I had kent it yestreen, I wad hae taen out thy heart o flesh, And put in a heart o stane.