Ballads, English -- England -- Texts; Ballads, Scots -- Scotland -- Texts
On Wednesday, that fatal day, 25
The people were convening;
Besides all this, threescore and ten,
To gang to the bridesteel wi' him.
"Ride on, ride on, my merry men a',
I've forgot something behind me; 30
I've forgot to get my mother's blessing,
To gae to the bridesteel wi' me."
"Your Peggy she's but bare fifteen,
And ye are scarcely twenty;
The water o' Gamery is wide and braid, 35
My heavy curse gang wi' thee!"
Then they rode on, and further on,
Till they came on to Gamery;
The wind was loud, the stream was proud,
And wi' the stream gaed Willie. 40
Then they rode on, and further on,
Till they came to the kirk o' Gamery;
And every one on high horse sat,
But Willie's horse rade toomly.
When they were settled at that place, 45
The people fell a mourning;
And a council held amo' them a',
But sair, sair wept Kinmundy.
Then out it speaks the bride hersell,
Says, "What means a' this mourning? 50
Where is the man amo' them a',
That shou'd gie me fair wedding?"
Then out it speaks his brother John,
Says, "Meg, I'll tell you plainly;
The stream was strong, the clerk rade wrong, 55
And Willie's drown'd in Gamery."
She put her hand up to her head,
Where were the ribbons many;
She rave them a', let them down fa',
And straightway ran to Gamery. 60
She sought it up, she sought it down,
Till she was wet and weary;
And in the middle part o' it,
There she got her deary.
Then she stroak'd back his yellow hair, 65
And kiss'd his mou' sae comely;
"My mother's heart's be as wae as thine;
We'se baith asleep in the water o' Gamery."
ANNAN WATER.
_Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border_, iii. 282.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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