The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 1 (of 5)

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

1
    There wond three ladies in a bower,
      Annet and Margret and Marjorie
    And they have gane out to pu a flower.
      And the dew it lyes on the wood, gay ladie

    2
    They had nae pu'd a flower but ane,
    When up has started a banished man.

    3
    He has taen the eldest by the hand,
    He has turned her about and bade her stand.

    4
    'Now whether will ye be a banisht man's wife,
    Or will ye be sticked wi my pen-knife?'

    5
    'I will na be ca'd a banished man's wife,
    I'll rather be sticked wi your pen-knife.'

    6
    And he has taen out his little pen-knife,
    And frae this lady he has taen the life.

    7
    He has taen the second by the hand,
    He has turned her about and he bad her stand.

    8
    'Now whether will ye be a banisht man's wife,
    Or will ye be sticked wi my pen-knife?'

    9
    'I will na be ca'd a banished man's wife;
    I'll rather be sticked wi your pen-knife.'

    10
    And he has taen out his little pen-knife,
    And frae this lady he has taen the life.

    11
    He has taen the youngest by the hand,
    He has turned her about and he bad her stand.

    12
    'Now whether will ye be a banished man's wife,
    Or will ye be sticked wi my pen-knife?'

    13
    'I winnae be called a banished man's wife,
    Nor yet will I be sticked wi your pen-knife.

    14
    'But gin my three brethren had been here,
    Ye had nae slain my sisters dear.'

      *    *    *    *    *    *    *


C

        Motherwell's MS., p. 172. From J. Goldie, March, 1825.

    1
    There were three sisters on a road,
      Gilly flower gentle rosemary
    And there they met a banished lord.
      And the dew it hings over the mulberry tree

    2
    The eldest sister was on the road,
    And there she met with the banished lord.

    3
    'O will ye consent to lose your life,
    Or will ye be a banished lord's wife?'

    4
    'I'll rather consent to lose my life
    Before I'll be a banished lord's wife.'

    5
    'It's lean your head upon my staff,'
    And with his pen-knife he has cutted it aff.

    6
    He flang her in amang the broom,
    Saying, 'Lye ye there till another ane come.'

    7
    The second sister was on the road,
    And there she met with the banished lord.

    8
    'O will ye consent to lose your life,
    Or will ye be a banished lord's wife?'

    9
    'I'll rather consent to lose my life
    Before I'll be a banished lord's wife.'

    10
    'It's lean your head upon my staff,'
    And with his pen-knife he has cutted it aff.

    11
    He flang her in amang the broom,
    Saying, 'Lie ye there till another ane come.'

    12
    The youngest sister was on the road,
    And there she met with the banished lord.

    13
    'O will ye consent to lose your life,
    Or will ye be a banished lord's wife?'

    14
    'O if my three brothers were here,
    Ye durstna put me in such a fear.'

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

Opening the text

General

The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 1 (of 5)

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

1
    There wond three ladies in a bower,
      Annet and Margret and Marjorie
    And they have gane out to pu a flower.
      And the dew it lyes on the wood, gay ladie

    2
    They had nae pu'd a flower but ane,
    When up has started a banished man.

    3
    He has taen the eldest by the hand,
    He has turned her about and bade her stand.

    4
    'Now whether will ye be a banisht man's wife,
    Or will ye be sticked wi my pen-knife?'

    5
    'I will na be ca'd a banished man's wife,
    I'll rather be sticked wi your pen-knife.'

    6
    And he has taen out his little pen-knife,
    And frae this lady he has taen the life.

    7
    He has taen the second by the hand,
    He has turned her about and he bad her stand.

    8
    'Now whether will ye be a banisht man's wife,
    Or will ye be sticked wi my pen-knife?'

    9
    'I will na be ca'd a banished man's wife;
    I'll rather be sticked wi your pen-knife.'

    10
    And he has taen out his little pen-knife,
    And frae this lady he has taen the life.

    11
    He has taen the youngest by the hand,
    He has turned her about and he bad her stand.

    12
    'Now whether will ye be a banished man's wife,
    Or will ye be sticked wi my pen-knife?'

    13
    'I winnae be called a banished man's wife,
    Nor yet will I be sticked wi your pen-knife.

    14
    'But gin my three brethren had been here,
    Ye had nae slain my sisters dear.'

      *    *    *    *    *    *    *


C

        Motherwell's MS., p. 172. From J. Goldie, March, 1825.

    1
    There were three sisters on a road,
      Gilly flower gentle rosemary
    And there they met a banished lord.
      And the dew it hings over the mulberry tree

    2
    The eldest sister was on the road,
    And there she met with the banished lord.

    3
    'O will ye consent to lose your life,
    Or will ye be a banished lord's wife?'

    4
    'I'll rather consent to lose my life
    Before I'll be a banished lord's wife.'

    5
    'It's lean your head upon my staff,'
    And with his pen-knife he has cutted it aff.

    6
    He flang her in amang the broom,
    Saying, 'Lye ye there till another ane come.'

    7
    The second sister was on the road,
    And there she met with the banished lord.

    8
    'O will ye consent to lose your life,
    Or will ye be a banished lord's wife?'

    9
    'I'll rather consent to lose my life
    Before I'll be a banished lord's wife.'

    10
    'It's lean your head upon my staff,'
    And with his pen-knife he has cutted it aff.

    11
    He flang her in amang the broom,
    Saying, 'Lie ye there till another ane come.'

    12
    The youngest sister was on the road,
    And there she met with the banished lord.

    13
    'O will ye consent to lose your life,
    Or will ye be a banished lord's wife?'

    14
    'O if my three brothers were here,
    Ye durstna put me in such a fear.'

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

The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 1 (of 5)

The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 1 (of 5)

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