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Lady Maisry

No: 65; variant: 65E

  1. LADY MARJORY was her mother's only daughter, Her father's only heir, O And she is awa to Strawberry Castle, To get some unco lair. O
  2. She had na been in Strawberry Castle A twelve month and a day, Till Lady Marjory she gaes wi child, As big as she can gae.
  3. Word is to her father gone, Before he got on his shoon, That Lady Marjory she gaes wi child, And it is to an Irish groom.
  4. But word is to her mother gane, Before that she gat on her gown, That Lady Marjorie she goes wi child, To a lord of high renown.
  5. 'O wha will put on the pot?' they said, 'Or wha will put on the pan? Or wha will put on a bauld, bauld fire, To burn Lady Marjorie in?'
  6. Her father he put on the pot, Her sister put on the pan, And her brother he put on a bauld, bauld fire, To burn Lady Marjorie in; And her mother she sat in a golden chair, To see her daughter burn.
  7. 'But where will I get a pretty little boy, That will win hose and shoon, That will go quickly to Strawberry Castle And bid my lord come doun?'
  8. 'O here am I a pretty boy, That'll win hose and shoon, That will rin quickly to Strawberry Castle, And bid thy lord come doun.'
  9. O when he came to broken brigs, He bent his bow and swam, And when he came to good dry land, He let down his foot and ran.
  10. When he came to Strawberry Castle, He tirled at the pin; None was so ready as the gay lord himsell To open and let him in.
  11. 'O is there any of my towers burnt? Or any of my castles broken? Or is Lady Marjorie brought to bed, Of a daughter or a son?'
  12. 'O there is nane of thy towers burnt, Nor nane of thy castles broken, But Lady Marjorie is condemned to die, To be burnt in a fire of oaken.'
  13. 'O gar saddle to me the black,' he said, 'Gar saddle to me the brown; Gar saddle to me the swiftest steed That eer carried a man from town.'
  14. He left the black into the slap, The brown into the brae, But fair fa that bonny apple-gray That carried this gay lord away!
  15. He took a little horn out of his pocket, And he blew 't both loud and shrill, And the little life that was in her, She hearkend to it full weel.
  16. 'Beet on, beet on, my brother dear, I value you not one straw, For yonder comes my own true-love, I hear his horn blaw.
  17. 'Beet on, beet on, my father dear, I value you not a pin, For yonder comes my own true-love, I hear his bridle ring.'
  18. But when he came into the place, He lap unto the wa; He thought to get a kiss o her bonny lips, But her body fell in twa.
  19. 'Oh vow, oh vow, oh vow,' he said, 'Oh vow but ye've been cruel! Ye've taken the timber out of my own wood And burnt my ain dear jewel.
  20. 'Now for thy sake, Lady Marjorie, I'll burn both father and mother; And for thy sake, Lady Marjorie, I'll burn both sister and brother.
  21. 'And for thy sake, Lady Marjorie, I'll burn both kith and kin; But I will remember the pretty little boy That did thy errand rin.'