Ballad Book Part 3

Gloomy, gloomy was the night, And eerie was the way, As fair Janet, in her green mantle, To Miles Cross she did gae.

About the dead hour o' the night She heard the bridles ring, And Janet was as glad o' that As ony earthly thing.

There's haly water in her hand, She casts a compa.s.s round; And straight she sees a fairy band Come riding o'er the mound.

And first gaed by the black, black steed, And then gaed by the broun; But fast she gript the milk-white steed, And pu'd the rider doun.

She pu'd him frae the milk-white steed, And loot the bridle fa'; And up there raise an elrish cry; "He's won amang us a'!"

They shaped him in fair Janet's arms An aske, but and an adder; She held him fast in every shape, To be her ain true lover.

They shaped him in her arms at last A mother-naked man, She cuist her mantle over him, And sae her true love wan.

Up then spake the Queen o' Fairies, Out of a bush o' broom: "She that has borrowed young Tamlane, Has gotten a stately groom!"

Up then spake the Queen o' Fairies, Out of a bush of rye: "She's ta'en away the bonniest knight In a' my companie!

"But had I kenned, Tamlane," she says, "A lady wad borrow thee, I wad hae ta'en out thy twa gray e'en, Put in twa e'en o' tree!

"Had I but kenned, Tamlane," she says, "Before ye came frae hame, I wad hae ta'en out your heart of flesh, Put in a heart o' stane!

"Had I but had the wit yestreen That I hae coft this day, I'd hae paid my teind seven times to h.e.l.l, Ere you'd been won away!"

TRUE THOMAS.

True Thomas lay on Huntlie bank; A ferlie he spied with his e'e; And there he saw a ladye bright, Come riding down by the Eildon tree.

Her skirt was o' the gra.s.s-green silk, Her mantle o' the velvet fine, At ilka tett of her horse's mane, Hung fifty siller bells and nine.

True Thomas he pu'd aff his cap, And louted low down to his knee; "All hail, thou mighty Queen of Heaven!

For thy peer on earth I never did see."

"O no, O no, Thomas," she said, "That name does not belang to me; I'm but the Queen of fair Elfland, That hither am come to visit thee!

"Harp and carp, Thomas," she said, "Harp and carp alang wi' me; And if ye daur to kiss my lips, Sure of your bodie I shall be!"

"Betide me weal, betide me woe, That weird shall never daunton me!"

Syne he has kissed her rosy lips, All underneath the Eildon tree.

"Now ye maun go wi' me," she said, "True Thomas, ye maun go wi' me; And ye maun serve me seven years, Through weal or woe as may chance to be."

She's mounted on her milk-white steed, She's ta'en True Thomas up behind; And aye, whene'er her bridle rang, The steed gaed swifter than the wind.

O they rade on, and further on, The steed gaed swifter than the wind; Until they reached a desert wide, And living land was left behind.

"Light down, light down now, Thomas," she said, "And lean your head upon my knee; Light down, and rest a little s.p.a.ce, And I will show you ferlies three.

"O see ye na that braid braid road, That stretches o'er the lily leven?

That is the path of wickedness, Though some call it the road to heaven.

"And see ye na yon narrow road, Sae thick beset wi' thorns and briers?

That is the path of righteousness, Though after it but few enquires.

"And see ye na yon bonny road, That winds about the ferny brae?

That is the way to fair Elfland, Where you and I this night maun gae.

"But, Thomas, ye maun hauld your tongue, Whatever you may hear or see; For if ye speak word in Elfin land, Ye'll ne'er win back to your ain countrie!"

O they rade on, and further on, And they waded through rivers aboon the knee, And they saw neither sun nor moon, But they heard the roaring of a sea.

It was mirk mirk night, there was nae stern-light, And they waded through red blude to the knee; For a' the blude that's shed on earth, Kins through the springs o' that countrie.

Syne they came to a garden green, And she pu'd an apple frae a tree-- "Take this for thy wages, True Thomas; It will give thee the tongue that can never lie!"

"My tongue is my ain!" True Thomas he said, "A gudely gift ye wad gie to me!

I neither douglit to buy nor sell, At fair or tryste where I may be.

"I dought neither speak to prince nor peer, Nor ask for grace from fair ladye!"

"Now hauld thy tongue, Thomas!" she said "For as I say, so must it be."

He has gotten a coat of the even claith, And a pair o' shoon of the velvet green; And till seven years were come and gane, True Thomas on earth was never seen.

THE ELFIN KNIGHT.

The Elfin knight stands on yon hill; (Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw,) Blawing his horn baith loud and shrill, (And the wind has blawn my plaid awa'.)

"If I had the horn that I hear blawn, (Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw,) And the bonnie knight that blaws the horn!"

(And the wind has blawn my plaid awa'.)

She had na sooner thae words said; (Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw,) Than the Elfin knight cam' to her side: (And the wind has blawn my plaid awa'.)

"Thou art too young a maid," quoth he, (Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw,) "Married wi' me you ill wad be."

(And the wind has blawn my plaid awa'.)

"I hae a sister younger than me; (Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw,) And she was married yesterday."

(And the wind has blawn my plaid awa'.)

"Married to me ye shall be nane; (Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw,) Till ye mak' me a sark without a seam; (And the wind has blawn my plaid awa'.)

"And ye maun shape it, knifeless, sheerless, (Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw,) And ye maun sew it, needle-threedless; (And the wind has blawn my plaid awa'.)

"And ye maun wash it within a well, (Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw,) Whaur dew never wat, nor rain ever fell, (And the wind has blawn my plaid awa'.)