About the middle o’ the night, The cocks began to craw, And at the dead hour o’ the night, The corpse began to thraw[566]. XVII ‘O wha has done the wrang, sister, Or dared the deadly sin? Wha was sae stout, and feared nae dout, As thraw ye o’er the linn?’-- XVIII ‘Young Benjie was the first ae man, I laid my love upon; He was sae stout and proud-heartèd, He threw me o’er the linn.’-- XIX ‘Sall we young Benjie head, sister, Sall we young Benjie hang, Or sall we pike out his twa gray e’en, And punish him ere he gang?’-- XX ‘Ye mauna Benjie head, brothers, Ye mauna Benjie hang, But ye maun pike out his twa gray e’en, And punish him ere he gang. XXI ‘Tie a green gravat[567] round his neck, And lead him out and in, And the best ae servant about your house, To wait young Benjie on. XXII ‘And ay, at every seven years’ end, Ye’ll tak him to the linn; For that’s the penance he maun drie[568], To scug[569] his deadly sin.’ FOOTNOTES: [560] plea = quarrel. [561] sets = befits. [562] linn = stream. [563] dang = overcome. [564] lykewake = corpse-watching. [565] streikit = stretched out. [566] thraw = twist, writhe. [567] gravat = cravat, collar. [568] drie = endure. [569] scug = screen, expiate. _92. Annan Water_ I Annan water’s wading deep, And my love Annie’s wondrous bonny; And I am laith she suld weet her feet, Because I love her best of ony. II ‘Gar saddle me the bonny black, Gar saddle sune, and make him ready; For I will down the Gatehope-Slack, And all to see my bonny ladye.’ III He has loupen on the bonny black, He stirr’d him wi’ the spur right sairly; But, or he wan the Gatehope-Slack, I think the steed was wae and weary. IV He has loupen on the bonny grey, He rade the right gate[570] and the ready; I trow he would neither stint nor stay, For he was seeking his bonny ladye. V O he has ridden o’er field and fell, Through muir and moss, and mony a mire: His spurs o’ steel were sair to bide, And frae her fore-feet flew the fire. VI ‘Now, bonny grey, now play your part! Gin ye be the steed that wins my deary, Wi’ corn and hay ye’se be fed for aye, And never spur sall make you wearie.’ VII The grey was a mare, and a right good mare; But when she wan the Annan water, She couldna hae ridden a furlong mair, Had a thousand merks been wadded[571] at her. VIII ‘O boatman, boatman, put off your boat! Put off your boat for gowden money! I cross the drumly[572] stream the night, Or never mair I see my honey.’-- IX