The Oxford Book of Ballads

Ballads, English -- Great Britain -- Texts

‘And what is the crime now, madame,’ he says,
      ‘Has been committed by this young man?’--
    ‘O he has broken my bonny castle,
      That was well biggit[533] wi’ lime and stane.

    VII

    ‘And he has broken my bonny coffers,
      That was well bandit[534] wi’ aiken[535] ban’;
    And he has stolen my rich jewels;
      I wot he has them every ane.’

    VIII

    Then out it spak’ her Lady Elspat
      As she sat by the Lord Justice’ knee:
    ‘Now ye hae tauld your tale, mither,
      I pray, Lord Justice, you’ll now hear me.

    IX

    ‘He hasna broken her bonny castle,
      That was well biggit wi’ lime and stane;
    Nor has he stolen her rich jewels,
      For I wot she has them every one.

    X

    ‘But tho’ he was my first true love,
      And tho’ I had sworn to be his bride,
    ’Cause he had not a great estate
      She would this way our loves divide.’

    XI

    Then out it spak’ the Lord Justice
      (I wot the tear was in his e’e):
    ‘I see nae fault in this young man;
      Sae loose his bands, and set him free.

    XII

    ‘Tak’ back your love now, Lady Elspat,
      And my best blessing you baith upon!
    For gin he be your first true love,
      He is my eldest sister’s son.

    XIII

    ‘There is a steed within my stable
      Cost me baith gowd and white monèy;
    Ye’se get as mickle o’ my free land
      As he’ll ride about in a summer’s day.’

FOOTNOTES:

[532] brent = straight, smooth.

[533] biggit = built.

[534] bandit = bound.

[535] aiken = oaken.




_87. Jamie Douglas_


    I

    I was a lady of high renown
      As ever lived in the north countrie;
    I was a lady of high renown
      When the Earl Douglas luvèd me.

    II

    And when we came through Glasgow toun,
      We were a comely sight to see;
    My gude lord in the black velvèt,
      And I mysel’ in cramasie[536].

    III

    But when we came to Douglas toun,
      We were a fine sight to behold:
    My gude lord in the cramasie
      And I mysel’ in the shining gold.

    IV

    And when that my auld[537] son was born
      And set upon his nurse’s knee,
    I was happy a woman as e’er was born,
      And my gude lord he luvèd me.

    V

    But O an my young son was born
      And set upon his nurse’s knee
    And I mysel’ were dead and gane,
      For a maid again I’ll never be!

    VI

    There cam’ a man into this house,
      And Jamie Lockhart was his name,
    And it was told to my gude lord
      That I was owre in love wi’ him.

    VII

    O wae be unto thee, Blackwòod,
      And ae an ill death may ye dee!
    For ye was the first and foremost man
      That parted my gude lord and me.

    VIII

    I sent a word to my gude lord,
      ‘Come down, and sit, and dine wi’ me,
    And I’ll set thee on a chair of gowd,
      And a siller towel on thy knee.’--

    IX

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

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The Oxford Book of Ballads

Ballads, English -- Great Britain -- Texts

‘And what is the crime now, madame,’ he says,
      ‘Has been committed by this young man?’--
    ‘O he has broken my bonny castle,
      That was well biggit[533] wi’ lime and stane.

    VII

    ‘And he has broken my bonny coffers,
      That was well bandit[534] wi’ aiken[535] ban’;
    And he has stolen my rich jewels;
      I wot he has them every ane.’

    VIII

    Then out it spak’ her Lady Elspat
      As she sat by the Lord Justice’ knee:
    ‘Now ye hae tauld your tale, mither,
      I pray, Lord Justice, you’ll now hear me.

    IX

    ‘He hasna broken her bonny castle,
      That was well biggit wi’ lime and stane;
    Nor has he stolen her rich jewels,
      For I wot she has them every one.

    X

    ‘But tho’ he was my first true love,
      And tho’ I had sworn to be his bride,
    ’Cause he had not a great estate
      She would this way our loves divide.’

    XI

    Then out it spak’ the Lord Justice
      (I wot the tear was in his e’e):
    ‘I see nae fault in this young man;
      Sae loose his bands, and set him free.

    XII

    ‘Tak’ back your love now, Lady Elspat,
      And my best blessing you baith upon!
    For gin he be your first true love,
      He is my eldest sister’s son.

    XIII

    ‘There is a steed within my stable
      Cost me baith gowd and white monèy;
    Ye’se get as mickle o’ my free land
      As he’ll ride about in a summer’s day.’

FOOTNOTES:

[532] brent = straight, smooth.

[533] biggit = built.

[534] bandit = bound.

[535] aiken = oaken.




_87. Jamie Douglas_


    I

    I was a lady of high renown
      As ever lived in the north countrie;
    I was a lady of high renown
      When the Earl Douglas luvèd me.

    II

    And when we came through Glasgow toun,
      We were a comely sight to see;
    My gude lord in the black velvèt,
      And I mysel’ in cramasie[536].

    III

    But when we came to Douglas toun,
      We were a fine sight to behold:
    My gude lord in the cramasie
      And I mysel’ in the shining gold.

    IV

    And when that my auld[537] son was born
      And set upon his nurse’s knee,
    I was happy a woman as e’er was born,
      And my gude lord he luvèd me.

    V

    But O an my young son was born
      And set upon his nurse’s knee
    And I mysel’ were dead and gane,
      For a maid again I’ll never be!

    VI

    There cam’ a man into this house,
      And Jamie Lockhart was his name,
    And it was told to my gude lord
      That I was owre in love wi’ him.

    VII

    O wae be unto thee, Blackwòod,
      And ae an ill death may ye dee!
    For ye was the first and foremost man
      That parted my gude lord and me.

    VIII

    I sent a word to my gude lord,
      ‘Come down, and sit, and dine wi’ me,
    And I’ll set thee on a chair of gowd,
      And a siller towel on thy knee.’--

    IX

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

The Oxford Book of Ballads

The Oxford Book of Ballads

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