English and Scottish Ballads Volume II Part 13

"O there was a woman stood at the door, Wi' a bairn intill her arms; But I wadna let her within the bower, For fear she had done you harm."

O quickly, quickly raise he up, 105 And fast ran to the strand; And there he saw her, fair Annie, Was sailing frae the land.

And "heigh, Annie!" and "how, Annie!

O, Annie, winna ye bide?" 110 But ay the louder that he cried "Annie,"

The higher rair'd the tide.

And "heigh, Annie!" and "how, Annie!

O, Annie, speak to me!"

But ay the louder that he cried "Annie," 115 The louder rair'd the sea.

The wind grew loud, and the sea grew rough, And the s.h.i.+p was rent in twain; And soon he saw her, fair Annie, Come floating o'er the main. 120

He saw his young son in her arms, Baith toss'd aboon the tide; He wrang his hands, and fast he ran, And plunged in the sea sae wide.

He catch'd her by the yellow hair, 125 And drew her to the strand; But cald and stiff was every limb, Before he reach'd the land.

O first he kist her cherry cheek, And syne he kist her chin; 130 And sair he kist her ruby lips, But there was nae breath within.

O he has mourn'd o'er fair Annie, Till the sun was ganging down; Syne wi' a sich his heart it brast, 135 And his saul to heaven has flown.

THE La.s.s OF LOCHROYAN.

_Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border_, iii. 199.

"This edition of the ballad is composed of verses selected from three MS. copies, and two obtained from recitation. Two of the copies are in Herd's MS.; the third in that of Mrs. Brown of Falkland."

Lord Gregory is represented in Scott's version, "as confined by fairy charms in an enchanted castle situated in the sea." But Jamieson a.s.sures us that when a boy he had frequently heard this ballad chanted in Morays.h.i.+re, and no mention was ever made of enchantment, or "fairy charms." "Indeed," he very justly adds, "the two stanzas on that subject [v. 41-52,] are in a style of composition very peculiar, and different from the rest of the piece, and strongly remind us of the interpolations in the ballad of _Gil Morris_."

"O wha will shoe my bonny foot?

And wha will glove my hand?

And wha will lace my middle jimp Wi' a lang, lang linen band?

"O wha will kame my yellow hair, 5 With a new-made silver kame?

And wha will father my young son, Till Lord Gregory come hame?"--

"Thy father will shoe thy bonny foot, Thy mother will glove thy hand, 10 Thy sister will lace thy middle jimp, Till Lord Gregory come to land.

"Thy brother will kame thy yellow hair With a new-made silver kame, And G.o.d will be thy bairn's father 15 Till Lord Gregory come hame."--

"But I will get a bonny boat, And I will sail the sea; And I will gang to Lord Gregory, Since he canna come hame to me." 20

Syne she's gar'd build a bonny boat, To sail the salt, salt sea; The sails were o' the light green silk, The tows o' taffety.

She hadna sailed but twenty leagues, 25 But twenty leagues and three, When she met wi' a rank robber, And a' his company.

"Now whether are ye the queen hersell, (For so ye weel might be,) 30 Or are ye the La.s.s of Lochroyan, Seekin' Lord Gregory?"--

"O I am neither the queen," she said, "Nor sic I seem to be; But I am the La.s.s of Lochroyan, 35 Seekin' Lord Gregory."--

"O see na thou yon bonny bower, It's a' cover'd o'er wi' tin?

When thou hast sail'd it round about, Lord Gregory is within." 40

And when she saw the stately tower s.h.i.+ning sae clear and bright, Whilk stood aboon the jawing wave, Built on a rock of height;

Says--"Row the boat, my mariners, 45 And bring me to the land!

For yonder I see my love's castle Close by the salt-sea strand."

She sail'd it round, and sail'd it round, And loud, loud cried she-- 50 "Now break, now break, ye fairy charms, And set my true love free!"

She's ta'en her young son in her arms, And to the door she's gane; And long she knock'd, and sair she ca'd, 55 But answer got she nane.

"O open the door, Lord Gregory!

O open and let me in!

For the wind blaws through my yellow hair, And the rain draps o'er my chin."-- 60

"Awa, awa, ye ill woman!

Ye're no come here for good!

Ye're but some witch or wil warlock, Or mermaid o' the flood."--

"I am neither witch, nor wil warlock, 65 Nor mermaid o' the sea; But I am Annie of Lochroyan; O open the door to me!"--

"Gin thou be Annie of Lochroyan, (As I trow thou binna she,) 70 Now tell me some o' the love tokens That past between thee and me."--

"O dinna ye mind, Lord Gregory, As we sat at the wine, We changed the rings frae our fingers? 75 And I can show thee thine.

"O yours was gude, and gude enough, But aye the best was mine; For yours was o' the gude red gowd, But mine o' the diamond fine. 80

"And has na thou mind, Lord Gregory, As we sat on the hill, Thou twin'd me o' my maidenheid Right sair against my will?

"Now open the door, Lord Gregory! 85 Open the door, I pray!

For thy young son is in my arms, And will be dead ere day."--

"If thou be the la.s.s of Lochroyan, (As I kenna thou be,) 90 Tell me some mair o' the love tokens Past between me and thee."

Fair Annie turn'd her round about-- "Weel! since that it be sae, May never a woman that has borne a son, 95 Hae a heart sae fou o' wae!

"Take down, take down, that mast o' gowd!

Set up a mast o' tree!

It disna become a forsaken lady To sail sae royallie." 100

When the c.o.c.k had crawn, and the day did dawn, And the sun began to peep, Then up and raise him Lord Gregory, And sair, sair did he weep.

"Oh I hae dream'd a dream, mother, 105 I wish it may prove true!