English and Scottish Ballads, Volume VIII

Ballads, English -- England -- Texts; Ballads, Scots -- Scotland -- Texts

Then out it spak him Wise William,                                15
      And a rash word spak he:
    Says, "I have a sister of my own,
      In bower wherever she be,
    And ye will not her favour win,
      With three blinks of your e'e."                                 20

    "What will you wager, Wise William?
      My lands I'll wad with thee:"
    "I'll wad my head against your land,
      Till I get more monie."

    Then Reedisdale took Wise William,                                25
      Laid him in prison strang;
    That he might neither gang nor ride,
      Nor no word to her send.

    But he has written a braid letter,
      Between the night and day,                                      30
    And sent it to his own sister,
      By dun feather and gray.

    When she had read Wise William's letter,
      She smiled and she leuch:
    Said, "Very weel, my dear brother,                                35
      Of this I have eneuch."

    She looked out at her west window,
      To see what she could see,
    And there she spied him Reedisdale,
      Come riding o'er the lea.                                       40

    Says, "Come to me, my maidens all,
      Come hitherward to me;
    For here it comes him Reedisdale,
      Who comes a-courting me."

    "Come down, come down, my lady fair,                              45
      A sight of you give me:"
    "Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,
      For me you will not see."

    "Come down, come down, my lady fair,
      A sight of you give me;                                         50
    And bonnie is the gowns of silk
      That I will give to thee."

    "If you have bonnie gowns of silk,
      O mine is bonnie tee;
    Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,                                 55
      For me you shall not see."

    "Come down, come down, my lady fair,
      A sight of you I'll see;
    And bonnie jewels, broaches, rings,
      I will give unto thee."                                         60

    "If you have bonnie broaches, rings,
      O mine are bonnie tee;
    Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,
      For me you shall not see."

    "Come down, come down, my lady fair,                              65
      One sight of you I'll see;
    And bonnie is the halls and bowers
      That I will give to thee."

    "If you have bonnie halls and bowers,
      O mine is bonnie tee;                                           70
    Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,
      For me you shall not see."

    "Come down, come down, my lady fair,
      A sight of you I'll see;
    And bonnie is my lands so broad                                   75
      That I will give to thee."

    "If you have bonnie lands so broad,
      O mine is bonnie tee;
    Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,
      For me you will not see."                                       80

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

English and Scottish Ballads, Volume VIII

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