The Gypsy Laddie
No: 200; variant: 200A
- THE gypsies came to our good lord's gate,
And wow but they sang sweetly!
They sang sae sweet and sae very compleat
That down came the fair lady.
- And she came tripping down the stair,
And a' her maids before her;
As soon as they saw her well-far'd face,
They coost the glamer oer her.
- 'Gae tak frae me this gay mantile,
And bring to me a plaidie;
For if kith and kin and a' had sworn,
I'll follow the gypsie laddie.
- 'Yestreen I lay in a well-made bed,
And my good lord beside me;
This night I'll ly in a tenant's barn,
Whatever shall betide me.'
- 'Come to your bed,' says Johny Faa,
'Oh come to your bed, my deary;
For I vow and I swear, by the hilt of my sword,
That your lord shall nae mair come near ye.'
- 'I'll go to bed to my Johny Faa,
I'll go to bed to my deary;
For I vow and I swear, by what past yestreen,
That my lord shall nae mair come near me.
- 'I'll mak a hap to my Johnny Faa,
And I'll mak a hap to my deary;
And he's get a' the coat gaes round,
And my lord shall nae mair come near me.'
- And when our lord came hame at een,
And speir'd for his fair lady,
The tane she cry'd, and the other reply'd,
'She's away with the gypsie laddie.'
- 'Gae saddle to me the black, black steed,
Gae saddle and make him ready;
Before that I either eat or sleep,
I'll gae seek my fair lady.'
- And we were fifteen well-made men,
Altho we were nae bonny;
And we were a' put down for ane,
A fair young wanton lady.