Ballad Book Part 20

(Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

The third o' them was clad in yellow, (Fine flowers i' the valley;) "O lady, will ye be my marrow?"

(Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

"O ye maun ask my father dear, (Fine flowers i' the valley;) Likewise the mother that did me bear;"

(Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

"And ye maun ask my sister Ann, (Fine flowers i' the valley;) And not forget my brother John;"

(Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

"O I have ask'd thy father dear, (Fine flowers i' the valley;) Likewise the mother that did thee bear;"

(Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

"And I have ask'd your sister Ann, (Fine flowers i' the valley;) But I forgot your brother John;"

(Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

Now when the wedding day was come, (Fine flowers i' the valley;) The knight would take his bonny bride home, (Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

And mony a lord, and mony a knight, (Fine flowers i' the valley;) Cam' to behold that lady bright, (Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

There was nae man that did her see, (Fine flowers i' the valley;) But wished himsell bridegroom to be, (Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

Her father led her down the stair, (Fine flowers i' the valley;) And her sisters twain they kiss'd her there; (Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

Her mother led her through the close, (Fine flowers i' the valley;) Her brother John set her on her horse; (Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

"You are high, and I am low, (Fine flowers i' the valley;) Give me a kiss before you go,"

(Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

She was touting down to kiss him sweet, (Fine flowers i' the valley;) When wi' his knife he wounded her deep, (Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

She hadna ridden through half the town, (Fine flowers i' the valley;) Until her heart's blood stained her gown, (Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

"Ride saftly on," said the best young man, (Fine flowers i' the valley;) "I think our bride looks pale and wan!"

(Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

"O lead me over into yon stile, (Fine flowers i' the valley;) That I may stop and breathe awhile,"

(Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

"O lead me over into yon stair, (Fine flowers i' the valley;) For there I'll lie and bleed nae mair,"

(Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

"O what will you leave to your father dear?"

(Fine flowers i' the valley;) "The siller-shod steed that brought me here,"

(Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

"What will you leave to your mother dear?"

(Fine flowers i' the valley;) "My wedding shift which I do wear,"

(Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

"But she must wash it very clean, (Fine flowers i' the valley;) For my heart's blood sticks in every seam."

(Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

"What will you leave to your sister Ann?"

(Pine flowers i' the valley;) "My silken gown that stands its lane,"

(Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

"And what will you leave to your brother John?"

(Fine flowers i' the valley;) "The gates o' h.e.l.l to let him in,"

(Wi' the red, green, and the yellow.)

THE GAY GOSS-HAWK.

"O well is me, my gay goss-hawk, That ye can speak and flee; For ye shall carry a love-letter To my true-love frae me.

"O how shall I your true-love find, Or how should I her knaw?

I bear a tongue ne'er wi' her spake, An eye that ne'er her saw."

"O well shall you my true-love ken, Sae soon as her ye see, For of a' the flowers o' fair England, The fairest flower is she.

"And when ye come to her castle, Light on the bush of ash, And sit ye there, and sing our loves, As she comes frae the ma.s.s.

"And when she goes into the house, Light ye upon the whin; And sit ye there, and sing our loves, As she gaes out and in."

Lord William has written a love-letter, Put in under the wing sae grey; And the bird is awa' to southern land, As fast as he could gae.

And when he flew to that castle, He lighted on the ash, And there he sat, and sang their loves, As she came frae the ma.s.s.

And when she went into the house, He flew unto the whin; And there he sat, and sang their loves, As she gaed out and in.

"Feast on, feast on, my maidens a', The wine flows you amang, Till I gae to the west-window, And hear a birdie's sang."

She's gane into the west-window, And fainly aye it drew, And soon into her white silk lap The bird the letter threw.

"Ye're bidden send your love a send, For he has sent you three; And tell him where he can see you, Or for your love he'll die."

"I send him the rings from my white fingers, The garlands aff my hair, I send him the heart that's in my breast, What would my love hae mair?

And at the fourth kirk in fair Scotland, Ye'll bid him meet me there."

She's gane until her father dear, As fast as she could hie, "An asking, an asking, my father dear, An asking grant ye me!

That if I die in merry England, In Scotland you'll bury me.

"At the first kirk o' fair Scotland, Ye'll cause the bells be rung; At the neist kirk o' fair Scotland Ye'll cause the ma.s.s be sung.

"At the third kirk o' fair Scotland, Ye'll deal the gowd for me; At the fourth kirk o' fair Scotland, It's there you'll bury me."