The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 2 (of 5)

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

30
    'Awa, awa, ye forenoon bride,
      Awa, awa frae me!
    I wudna hear my Annie greet,
      For a' the gold I got wi thee.'

    31
    'There was five ships of gay red gold
      Came owre the seas with me;
    It's twa o them will take me hame,
      And three I'll leave wi thee.

    32
    'Seven ships o white money
      Came owre the seas wi me;
    Five o them I'll leave wi thee,
      And twa'll tak me hame,
    And my mother will mak my portion up,
      When I return again.'


G

        Communicated by Miss Margaret Reburn, as current in
        County Meath, Ireland, 1860-70.

    1
    She served them up, she served them down,
      She served them up with wine,
    But still she drank the clear spring water,
      To keep her color fine.

    2
    'I must get up, she must sit down,
      She must sit in my place,
    Or else be torn by wild horses
      And thrown over the gates.'

    3
    'You wont get up, she wont sit down,
      She wont sit in your place,
    Nor yet be torn by wild horses.
      Nor thrown over the gates.'

    4
    She called up her seven sons,
      By one, by two, by three:
    'I wish you were all seven gray-hounds,
      This night to worry me.'

    5
    'What ails you, fair Ellen? what ails you, fair?
      Or why do you sigh and moan?'
    'The hoops are off my wine hogsheads,
      And my wine is overflown.'


H

        From Dr Thomas Davidson. Aberdeenshire.

    1
    'But wha will bake my bridal bread,
      An brew my bridal ale,
    And wha will welcome my bride hame,
      Is mair than I can tell.'

    2
    'It's I will bake your bridal bread,
      And brew your bridal ale,
    But wha will welcome your bride hame,
      It'll need tae be yersel.'

    3
    An she's hung up a silken towel
      Upon a golden pin,
    ... tae wipe her een,
      As she gaed but and ben.


I

        Kinloch MSS, I, 155, May, 1827. "Composed of three
        recited versions obtained in the west of Scotland."

    1
    'Learn to mak your bed, Annie,
      And learn to lie your lane;
    For I am gaing oure the saut seas,
      A brisk bride to bring hame.

    2
    'Wi her I will get gowd and gear;
      Wi thee I neer gat nane;
    I got thee as a waif woman,
      I'll leave thee as the same.

    3
    'O wha will bake my bridal bread,
      Or brew my bridal ale?
    Or wha welcome my brisk bride,
      That I'll bring oure the dale?'

    4
    'O I will bake your bridal bread,
      And brew your bridal ale;
    But I downa welcam your brisk bride
      That ye'll bring frae the dale.'

    5
    'She that welcomes my brisk bride,
      She maun look maiden-like;
    She maun kaim doun her yellow locks,
      And lay them in her neck.'

    6
    'O how can I look maiden-like,
      Whan maiden I am nane?
    For seven sons I hae born to thee,
      And the eighth lies in my wame.

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

Opening the text

General

The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 2 (of 5)

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

30
    'Awa, awa, ye forenoon bride,
      Awa, awa frae me!
    I wudna hear my Annie greet,
      For a' the gold I got wi thee.'

    31
    'There was five ships of gay red gold
      Came owre the seas with me;
    It's twa o them will take me hame,
      And three I'll leave wi thee.

    32
    'Seven ships o white money
      Came owre the seas wi me;
    Five o them I'll leave wi thee,
      And twa'll tak me hame,
    And my mother will mak my portion up,
      When I return again.'


G

        Communicated by Miss Margaret Reburn, as current in
        County Meath, Ireland, 1860-70.

    1
    She served them up, she served them down,
      She served them up with wine,
    But still she drank the clear spring water,
      To keep her color fine.

    2
    'I must get up, she must sit down,
      She must sit in my place,
    Or else be torn by wild horses
      And thrown over the gates.'

    3
    'You wont get up, she wont sit down,
      She wont sit in your place,
    Nor yet be torn by wild horses.
      Nor thrown over the gates.'

    4
    She called up her seven sons,
      By one, by two, by three:
    'I wish you were all seven gray-hounds,
      This night to worry me.'

    5
    'What ails you, fair Ellen? what ails you, fair?
      Or why do you sigh and moan?'
    'The hoops are off my wine hogsheads,
      And my wine is overflown.'


H

        From Dr Thomas Davidson. Aberdeenshire.

    1
    'But wha will bake my bridal bread,
      An brew my bridal ale,
    And wha will welcome my bride hame,
      Is mair than I can tell.'

    2
    'It's I will bake your bridal bread,
      And brew your bridal ale,
    But wha will welcome your bride hame,
      It'll need tae be yersel.'

    3
    An she's hung up a silken towel
      Upon a golden pin,
    ... tae wipe her een,
      As she gaed but and ben.


I

        Kinloch MSS, I, 155, May, 1827. "Composed of three
        recited versions obtained in the west of Scotland."

    1
    'Learn to mak your bed, Annie,
      And learn to lie your lane;
    For I am gaing oure the saut seas,
      A brisk bride to bring hame.

    2
    'Wi her I will get gowd and gear;
      Wi thee I neer gat nane;
    I got thee as a waif woman,
      I'll leave thee as the same.

    3
    'O wha will bake my bridal bread,
      Or brew my bridal ale?
    Or wha welcome my brisk bride,
      That I'll bring oure the dale?'

    4
    'O I will bake your bridal bread,
      And brew your bridal ale;
    But I downa welcam your brisk bride
      That ye'll bring frae the dale.'

    5
    'She that welcomes my brisk bride,
      She maun look maiden-like;
    She maun kaim doun her yellow locks,
      And lay them in her neck.'

    6
    'O how can I look maiden-like,
      Whan maiden I am nane?
    For seven sons I hae born to thee,
      And the eighth lies in my wame.

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

The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 2 (of 5)

The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 2 (of 5)

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