Lamkin
No: 93; variant: 93A
- IT'S Lamkin was a mason good
As ever built wi stane;
He built Lord Wearie's castle,
But payment got he nane.
- 'O pay me, Lord Wearie,
come, pay me my fee:'
'I canna pay you, Lamkin,
For I maun gang oer the sea.'
- 'O pay me now, Lord Wearie,
Come, pay me out o hand:'
'I canna pay you, Lamkin,
Unless I sell my land.'
- 'O gin ye winna pay me,
I here sall mak a vow,
Before that ye come hame again,
ye sall hae cause to rue.'
- Lord Wearie got a bonny ship,
to sail the saut sea faem;
Bade his lady weel the castle keep,
ay till he should come hame.
- But the nourice was a fause limmer
as eer hung on a tree;
She laid a plot wi Lamkin,
whan her lord was oer the sea.
- She laid a plot wi Lamkin,
when the servants were awa,
Loot him in at a little shot-window,
and brought him to the ha.
- 'O whare's a' the men o this house,
that ca me Lamkin?'
'They're at the barn-well thrashing;
'twill be lang ere they come in.'
- 'And whare's the women o this house,
that ca me Lamkin?'
'They're at the far well washing;
'twill be lang ere they come in.'
- 'And whare's the bairns o this house,
that ca me Lamkin?'
'They're at the school reading;
'twill be night or they come hame.'
- 'O whare's the lady o this house,
that ca's me Lamkin?'
'She's up in her bower sewing,
but we soon can bring her down.'
- Then Lamkin's tane a sharp knife,
that hang down by his gaire,
And he has gien the bonny babe
A deep wound and a sair.
- Then Lamkin he rocked,
and the fause nourice sang,
Till frae ilkae bore o the cradle
the red blood out sprang.
- Then out it spak the lady,
as she stood on the stair:
'What ails my bairn, nourice,
that he's greeting sae sair?
- 'O still my bairn, nourice,
O still him wi the pap!'
'He winna still, lady,
for this nor for that.'
- 'O still my bairn, nourice,
O still him wi the wand!'
'He winna still, lady,
for a' his father's land.'
- 'O still my bairn, nourice,
O still him wi the bell!'
'He winna still, lady,
till ye come down yoursel.'
- O the firsten step she steppit,
she steppit on a stane;
But the neisten step she steppit,
she met him Lamkin.
- 'O mercy, mercy, Lamkin,
hae mercy upon me!
Though you've taen my young son's life,
Ye may let mysel be.'
- 'O sall I kill her, nourice,
or sall I lat her be?'
'O kill her, kill her, Lamkin,
for she neer was good to me.'
- 'O scour the bason, nourice,
and mak it fair and clean,
For to keep this lady's heart's blood,
For she's come o noble kin.'
- 'There need nae bason, Lamkin,
lat it run through the floor;
What better is the heart's blood
o the rich than o the poor?'
- But ere three months were at an end,
Lord Wearie came again;
But dowie, dowie was his heart
when first he came hame.
- 'O wha's blood is this,' he says,
'That lies in the chamer?'
'It is your lady's heart's blood;
'tis as clear as the lamer.'
- 'And wha's blood is this,' he says,
'That lies in my ha?'
'It is your young son's heart's blood;
'tis the clearest ava.'
- O sweetly sang the black-bird
that sat upon the tree;
But sairer grat Lamkin,
when he was condemnd to die.
- And bonny sang the mavis,
Out o the thorny brake;
But sairer grat the nourice,
when she was tied to the stake.