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

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

17
    The first step that the captain stept,
      It took him to the knee,
    And the next step that the captain stepped
      They were a' drownd in the sea.

    18
    Half owre, half owre to Aberdour
      It's fifty fadoms deep,
    And there lay good Sir Patrick Spens,
      And the Scotch lords at his feet.

    19
    Lang may our Scotch lords' ladies sit,
      And sew their silken seam,
    Before they see their good Scotch lords
      Come sailing owre the main.

    20
    Lang lang may Sir Patrick's lady
      Sit rocking her auld son,
    Before she sees Sir Patrick Spens
      Come sailing owre the main.


D

        Motherwell's MS., p. 496, communicated by Kirkpatrick
        Sharpe.

    1
    The king sits in Dumferling town,
      Drinking the blood red wine: O
    'Where will I get a good skipper,
      To sail seven ships o mine?' O
    Where will, etc.

    2
    O up then spake a bra young man,
      And a bra young man was he:
    'Sir Andrew Wood is the best skipper
      That ever saild the sea.'

    3
    The king has written a bra letter,
      And seald it wi his hand,
    And ordered Sir Andrew Wood
      To come at his command.

    4
    'O wha is this, or wha is that,
      Has tauld the king o me?
    For had he been a better man,
      He might ha tauld a lee.'

      *    *    *    *    *    *    *

    5
    As I came in by the Inch, Inch, Inch,
      I heard an auld man weep:
    'Sir Andrew Wood and a' his men
      Are drowned in the deep!'

    6
    O lang lang may yon ladies stand,
      Their fans into their hands,
    Before they see Sir Andrew Wood
      Come sailing to dry land.

    7
    O laith laith were our Scottish lords
      To weit their cork-heeld shoon;
    But ere that a' the play was plaid,
      They wat their heads aboon.

    8
    Nore-east, nore-west frae Aberdeen
      Is fifty fathom deep,
    And there lies good Sir Andrew Wood,
      And a' the Scottish fleet.


E

        Motherwell's MS., p. 348.

    1
    The king sits in Dumfermline toun,
      Sae merrilie drinking wine; O
    Says, Whare will I get a fine skipper,
      Wud sail these ships of mine? O

    2
    Out and spak an auld rich knicht,
      And an ill death may he die!
    Says, Young Patrick is the best skipper
      That ever set sail on sea.

    3
    The king did write a lang letter,
      Sealed it with his own hand,
    And he sent it to Young Patrick,
      To come at his command.

    4
    When Young Patrick read the letter lang,
      The tear blindit his ee;
    Says Wha is this, or wha is that,
      That's tauld the king of me?
    Altho he had been better than what he is,
      He micht hae askt leave of me.

    5
    'But busk, O busk, my merry men a',
      O busk and mak you braw,
    For blaw the wind what airt it will,
      Our ship she must awa.

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

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

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