And fare ye weel, the bonny lass, That kindles my mothers fire." (_channerin'_, fretting.) CLERK SAUNDERS [Illustration: 9059] |Clerk Saunders and may Margaret, Walked ower yon gravelled green; And sad and heavy was the love I wot it fell this twa between. "A bed, a bed," Clerk Saunders said, "A bed, a bed for you and me!"-- "Fie na, fie na," the lady said, "Until the day we married be; "For in it will come my seven brothers, And a their torches burning bright; They'll say--' We hae but ae sister, And here her lying wi' a knight! '"-- "Yell take the sword from my scabbard, And lowly, lowly lift the gin; And you may swear, and your oath to save, Ye never let Clerk Saunders in. "Yell take a napkin in your hand, And yell tie up baith your een; And you may swear, and your oath to save, Ye saw na Sandy since late yestreen." --"Ye'll take me in your armés twa, Yell carry me ben into your bed, And ye may swear, and your oath to save, That in your bower-floor I ne'er tread." She has ta en the sword frae his scabbard, And lowly, lowly lifted the gin; She was to swear, her oath to save, She never let Clerk Saunders in. She has ta'en a napkin in her hand, And she tied up baith her een; She was to swear, her oath to save, She saw na him since late yestreen. (_gin,_ latch.) [Illustration: 9061] She ta'en him in her armés twa And carried him ben into her bed j She was to swear her oath to save He never on her bower-floor tread. In and came her seven brothers, And all their torches burning bright; Says they, "We hae but ae sister, And see there her lying wi' a knight!" Out and speaks the first o' them, "I wot that they hae been lovers dear!" Out and speaks the next o' them, "They hae been in love this many a year!" Out and speaks the third o' them, "It were great sin this twa to twain!" Out and speaks the fourth of them, "It were a sin to kill a sleeping man!" Out and speaks the fifth of them, "I wot they'll ne'er be twained by me"; Out and speaks the sixth of them, "We'll tak our leave and gae our way." Out and speaks the seventh o' them, "Altho' there were no man but me; I bear the brand I'll gar him dee." Out he has ta'en a bright long brand, And he has striped it through the straw, And through and through Clerk Saunders' body I wot he has gared cold iron gae. (_gar_, make.) Saunders he started, and Margaret she lept Into his arms where she lay; And well and wellsome was the night I wot it was between those twa. And they lay still and sleeped sound, Until the day began to daw; And kindly to him she did say, "It is time, true love, you were awa'." They lay still, and sleeped sound, Until the sun began to sheen; She looked atween her and the wa,