Fair Janet
No: 64; variant: 64B
- 'IF you do love me weel, Willie,
Ye'll shew to me truelie;
Ye'll build to me a bonnie ship,
And set her on the sea.'
- He did love her very weel,
He shewed to her trulie;
He builded her a bonnie ship,
And set her on the sea.
- They had not sailed one league, one league,
One league but only three,
Till sharp, sharp showers fair Janet took,
She grew sick and like to die.
- 'If you do love me weel, Willie,
Ye'll shew to me trulye;
Ye'll tak me to my mother's bower,
Whare I was wont to be.'
- He did love her very weel,
He shewed to her trulye;
He took her to her mother's bower,
Whare she was wont to be.
- 'It's ye'll stand up at my richt side,
You will on tiptaes stand,
Until you hear your auld son weep,
But an you Janet mourn.
- 'Come take your auld son in your arms,
He is both large and lang;
Come take your auld son in your arms,
And for a nourice gang.'
- He is to his mother's bowers,
An hour or it struck nine:
'I have a babe into my arms,
He'll die nor nouricing.'
- 'Goe home, go home, my son,' she says,
'And mak thy Jenny blythe;
If ae nurse winna sere her son,
It's I'll provide him five.'
- Fair Janet was nae weel lichter,
Nor weel doun on her side,
Till ben and cam her father dear,
Saying, Wha will busk our bride?
- Ben and cam her brethren dear,
Saying, Wha will busk our bride?
And wha will saddle our bride's horse?
Whom ahint will she ride?
- 'Hold your tongue, my brethren dear,
And let your folly be,
For I'm sae fair and full of hair
Sma busking will serve me.
- 'Hold your tongue, my brethren dear,
And let your folly be,
For I will ride behint William,
He will best wait on me.
- 'Willie, lay the saddle saft,
And lead the bridle soun,
And when we come to Mary's Kirk,
Ye'll set me hooly down.'
- Supper scarslie was owre,
Nor musick weel fa'n to,
Till ben and cam the bride's brethren,
Saying, Bride, ye'll dance wi me:
'Awa, awa, my brethren dear,
For dancing's no for me.'
- Ben and came her ain bridegroom,
Saying, Bride, ye'll dance wi me;
She says, Awa, awa, ye southland dog,
Your face I downa see.
- Ben and cam then Sweet Willie,
Saying, Bride, ye'll dance wi me:
'Oh I will dance the floor once owre,
Tho my heart should break in three.'
- 'Oh no, oh no,' said Sweet William,
'Let no such things eer be;
But I will cut my glove in two,
And I'll dance for thee and me.'
- She hadna danced the floor once owre,
I'm sure she hadna thrice,
Till she fell in a deadly swound,
And from it neer did rise.
- Out and spak her ain bridegroom,
And an angry man was he:
'This day she has gien me the gecks,
Yet she must bear the scorn;
There's not a bell in merry Linkum
Shall ring for her the morn.'
- Out and spoke then Sweet William,
And a sorry man was he:
'Altho she has gien you the gecks,
She will not bear the scorn;
There's not a bell in merry Linkum
But shall ring for her the morn.'
- There was not a bell in merry Linkum
But they tinkled and they rang,
And a' the birds that flew above,
They changed their notes and sang.