Lady Maisry
No: 65; variant: 65[J]
- Lady Margery was the king's ae daughter,
But an the prince's heir; O
She's away to Strawberry Castle,
To learn some English lair. O
- She had not been in Strawberry Castle
A twelvemonth and a day
Till she's even as big wi child
As ever a lady could gae.
- Her father's to the cutting o the birks,
Her mother to the broom,
And a' for to get a bundle o sticks
To burn that fair lady in.
- 'O hold your hand now, father dear,
O hold a little while,
For if my true-love be yet alive
I'll hear his bridle ring.
- 'Where will I get a bonny boy,
That will win hoes and shoon,
That will run to Strawberry Castle
And tell my love to come?'
- She's called on her waiting-maid
To bring out bread and wine:
'Now eat and drink, my bonny boy,
Ye'll neer eat mair o mine.'
- Away that bonny boy he's gaen,
As fast as he could rin;
When he cam where grass grew green
Set down his feet and ran.
- And when he cam where brigs were broken
He bent his bow and swam;
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
- When he came to Strawberry Castle,
He lighted on the green;
Who was so ready as the noble lord
To rise and let the boy in!
- 'What news? what new, my pretty page?
What tydings do ye bring?
Is my lady lighter yet
Of a daughter or a son?'
- 'Bad news, bad news, my noble lord,
Bad tydings have I brung;
The fairest lady in a' Scotland
This day for you does burn.'
- He has mounted a stately steed
And he was bound to ride;
The silver buttons flew off his coat
And his nose began to bleed.
- The second steed that lord mounted
Stumbled at a stone;
'Alass! alass!' he cried with grief,
'My lady will be gone.'
- When he came from Strawberry Castle
He lighted boots and a';
He thought to have goten a kiss from her,
But her body fell in twa.
- For the sake o Lady Margery
He's cursed her father and mother,
For the sake o Lady Margery
He's cursed her sister and brother.
- And for the sake o Lady Margery
He's cursed all her kin;
He cried, Scotland is the ae warst place
That ever my fit was in!