PR Website

Willie o Couglas Dale

No: 101; variant: 101[D]

  1. Willie was a rich man's son, A rich man's son was he; Hee thought his father lake to sair, An his mother of mine digree, An he is on to our English court, To serve for meatt an fee.
  2. He hadno ben in our king's court A tuall-month an a day, Till he fell in love we Mary, Dem [Ele]fon, An a great buity was she.
  3. He hadno ben in our king's court A tuall-month an a houre, Till he dreamed a lady of buty bright Gave him a rosey flour.
  4. The lady touk her mantell her about, Her gooun-teall in her hand, An she is on to gued grean woud, As fast as she could gang.
  5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . An ther she spayed a gellant knight, Kamen his yallou hear.
  6. 'What is yer name, sir knight? For a knight I am sure ye be;' 'I am called Willie of Duglas Dall, Did ye never hear of me?' 'If ye be Willie of Duglass Daill, I afft have heard of thee.'
  7. 'What is yer name, ye lovely dame? For a lady I trou ye be;' 'I am called Mary, Dem Elefond, Did ye never hear of me?'
  8. 'In ye be Mary, Dem Elefon, As I trust well ye be, . . . . . . . My heart ye haa ye we.'
  9. The lady was fair an rear, The knight's heart had she; The knight was tall an straght withall, The lady's hart had he.
  10. It fell ance upon a day Dem Elofen thought lang, An she is on to Willie's bour, As fast as she could gang.
  11. 'Narrou is my pettecot, Willie, It ance was saa wide, An narrou is my stays, Willie, Att ance wer saa wide, An paill is my chikes, Willie, An laigh, laigh is my pride.
  12. '. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . An the knights of my father's court gat word of this, I feer they wad gare ye diee.'
  13. He touke . . . . . . . . . The lady by the hand, An they are one to gued green woud, As fast as they coud gang.
  14. It fell ance upon a day Strong travileng came her tell, . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  15. 'Ye take your boue on yer shoulder, Yer arrous in yer hand, An ye gaa farr throu green woud, An shout some veneson.
  16. 'Fan ye hear me loud cray, Bide far awaa fra me, Bat fan ye hear me laying still Ye may come back an see.'
  17. Fan he hard her loud cray, He bad far awaa, Bat fan he heard her laying still He did come an see, An he got her An her young son her wee.
  18. He milked the goats, An feed his young son wee, And he made a fire of the oken speals, An warmed his lady wee.
  19. It fell ance upon a day The lady though[t] lang: 'An ye haa any place in fair Scotland, Willie, I wiss ye wad haa me hame.'
  20. '. . . . . . . I ha lands an reants saa friee, The bonny lands of Duglass Daill, They a' lay bread an friee.'
  21. He's taen the knight-bairn in his arms, His lady by the hand, An he is out throu gued green woud, As fast as they coud gang.
  22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Till they came to a maid kepping her goats, . . . . . . . .
  23. 'Halle:, ye maid, For a maid ye seem to be; Will ye live your goats kepping An goo we me?
  24. 'I cannot live my father, I canno live my midder, Nor yet my brethren three; I cannot live my goats kepping, An goo along we the.
  25. 'Fatt is your name, ye lovely dame? For a lady I am shour ye be;' 'I am called Mary, Dem Elifond, Did ye nver hear of me?'
  26. 'If ye be Mary, Dem Elifond, As I trust weel ye be, I will live my goats kepping An goo along we the.
  27. 'For I will live my father, an I ill live my mother, An my brothers three, An I will live my goats, An go along we thee.'
  28. The maid touke the knight-bairn in her ar[m]s, An his lady took he, An they are to gued ship-bourd, And took God to be ther foresteed, an didne fear to droun.
  29. An they landed att Duglas Dalle, Far the lands was briad an frie, An the knight-bairn was Black Sir James of Duglas Dall, An a gallant knight was hee.