Ballads, English -- England -- Texts; Ballads, Scots -- Scotland -- Texts
"Lament, lament na, May Margaret,
And of your weeping let me be;
For ye maun to the king himsell, 15
To seek the life o' young Logie."
May Margaret has kilted her green cleiding,
And she has curl'd back her yellow hair,--
"If I canna get young Logie's life,
Farewell to Scotland for evermair." 20
When she came before the king,
She knelit lowly on her knee.
"O what's the matter, May Margaret?
And what need's a' this courtesie?"
"A boon, a boon, my noble liege, 25
A boon, a boon, I beg o' thee!
And the first boon that I come to crave
Is to grant me the life o' young Logie."
"O na, O na, May Margaret,
Forsooth, and so it mauna be; 30
For a' the gowd o' fair Scotland
Shall not save the life o' young Logie."
But she has stown the king's redding kaim,
Likewise the queen her wedding knife;
And sent the tokens to Carmichael, 35
To cause young Logie get his life.
She sent him a purse o' the red gowd,
Another o' the white monie;
She sent him a pistol for each hand,
And bade him shoot when he gat free. 40
When he came to the Tolbooth stair,
There he let his volley flee;
It made the king in his chamber start,
E'en in the bed where he might be.
"Gae out, gae out, my merrymen a', 45
And bid Carmichael come speak to me;
For I'll lay my life the pledge o' that,
That yon's the shot o' young Logie."
When Carmichael came before the king,
He fell low down upon his knee; 50
The very first word that the king spake
Was,--"Where's the laird of young Logie?"
Carmichael turn'd him round about,
(I wot the tear blinded his e'e,)--
"There came a token frae your grace 55
Has ta'en away the laird frae me."
"Hast thou play'd me that, Carmichael?
And hast thou play'd me that?" quoth he;
"The morn the Justice Court's to stand,
And Logie's place ye maun supplie." 60
Carmichael's awa to Margaret's bower,
Even as fast as he may drie,--
"O if young Logie be within,
Tell him to come and speak with me!"
May Margaret turn'd her round about, 65
(I wot a loud laugh laughed she,)--
"The egg is chipp'd, the bird is flown,
Ye'll see nae mair of young Logie."
The tane is shipped at the pier of Leith,
The tother at the Queen's Ferrie; 70
And she's gotten a father to her bairn,
The wanton laird of young Logie.
v. 9-12. This stanza was obtained by Motherwell from recitation.
THE GYPSIE LADDIE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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