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I
YOUNG BEKIE was as brave a knight | |
| As ever sail’d the sea; | |
| And he’s doen him to the court of France, | |
| To serve for meat and fee. | |
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II
He had nae been i’ the court of France | 5 |
| A twelvemonth nor sae long, | |
| Til he fell in love with the king’s daughter, | |
| And was thrown in prison strong. | |
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III
The king he had but ae daughter, | |
| Burd Isbel was her name; | 10 |
| And she has to the prison-house gane, | |
| To hear the prisoner’s mane. | |
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IV
‘O gin a lady wou’d borrow me, | |
| At her stirrup-foot I wou’d rin; | |
| Or gin a widow wou’d borrow me, | 15 |
| I wou’d swear to be her son. | |
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V
‘Or gin a virgin wou’d borrow me, | |
| I wou’d wed her wi’ a ring; | |
| I’d gie her ha’s, I’d gie her bowers, | |
| The bonny towrs o’ Linne.’ | 20 |
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VI
O barefoot, barefoot gaed she but, | |
| And barefoot came she ben; | |
| It was no for want o’ hose and shoone, | |
| Nor time to put them on; | |
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VII
But a’ for fear that her father dear | 25 |
| Had heard her making din: | |
| She’s stown the keys o’ the prison-house door | |
| And latten the prisoner gang. | |
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VIII
O whan she saw him, Young Bekie, | |
| Her heart was wondrous sair! | 30 |
| For the mice but and the bold rottons | |
| Had eaten his yallow hair. | |
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IX
She’s gi’en him a shaver for his beard, | |
| A comber till his hair, | |
| Five hunder pound in his pocket, | 35 |
| To spen’ and nae to spair. | |
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X
She’s gi’en him a steed was good in need, | |
| An’ a saddle o’ royal bone, | |
| A leash o’ hounds o’ ae litter, | |
| And Hector callèd one. | 40 |
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XI
Atween this twa a vow was made, | |
| ’T was made full solemnly, | |
| That or three years was come an’ gane, | |
| Well married they should be. | |
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XII
He had nae been in ’s ain country | 45 |
| A twelvemonth till an end, | |
| Till he’s fore’d to marry a duke’s daughter, | |
| Or than lose a’ his land. | |
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XIII
‘Ohon, alas!’ says Young Bekie, | |
| ‘I know not what to dee; | 50 |
| For I canno win to Burd Isbel, | |
| An’ she kensnae to come to me.’ | |
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XIV
O it fell once upon a day | |
| Burd Isbel fell asleep, | |
| And up it starts the Billy Blind, | 55 |
| And stood at her bed-feet. | |
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XV
‘O waken, waken, Burd Isbel, | |
| How can you sleep so soun’, | |
| Whan this is Bekie’s wedding day, | |
| An’ the marriage gaïn on? | 60 |
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XVI
‘Ye do ye to your mither’s bowr, | |
| Think neither sin nor shame; | |
| An’ ye tak twa o’ your mither’s marys, | |
| To keep ye frae thinking lang. | |
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XVII
‘Ye dress yoursel’ in the red scarlèt, | 65 |
| An’ your marys in dainty green, | |
| An’ ye pit girdles about your middles | |
| Wou’d buy an earldome. | |
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XVIII
‘O ye gang down by yon sea-side, | |
| An’ down by yon sea-stran’; | 70 |
| Sae bonny will the Hollan’s boats | |
| Come rowin’ till your han’. | |
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XIX
‘Ye set your milke-white foot abord, | |
| Cry, Hail ye, Domine! | |
| An’ I shal be the steerer o’t, | 75 |
| To row you o’er the sea.’ | |
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XX
She’s tane her till her mither’s bowr, | |
| Thought neither sin nor shame, | |
| And she took twa o’ her mither’s marys, | |
| To keep her frae thinking lang. | 80 |
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XXI
She dress’d hersel’ i’ the red scarlèt, | |
| Her marys i’ dainty green, | |
| And they pat girdles about their middles | |
| Wou’d but an earldome. | |
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XXII
And they gid down by yon sea-side, | 85 |
| And down by yon sea-stran’; | |
| Sae bonny did the Hollan’s boats | |
| Come rowin’ to their han’. | |
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XXIII
She set her milke-white foot on board, | |
| Cried, Hail ye, Domine! | 90 |
| And the Billy Blind was the steerer o’t, | |
| To row her o’er the sea. | |
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XXIV
Whan she came to young Bekie’s gate, | |
| She heard the music play; | |
| Sae well she kent frae a’ she heard, | 95 |
| It was his wedding day. | |
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XXV
She’s pitten her han’ in her pocket, | |
| Gi’en the porter guineas three; | |
| ‘Hae, tak ye that, ye proud portèr, | |
| Bid the bride-groom speake to me.’ | 100 |
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XXVI
O whan that he cam up the stair, | |
| He fell low down on his knee: | |
| He hail’d the king, and he hail’d the queen, | |
| And he hail’d him, Young Bekie. | |
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XXVII
‘O I’ve been porter at your gates | 105 |
| This thirty years an’ three; | |
| But there’s three ladies at them now, | |
| Their like I never did see. | |
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XXVIII
‘There’s ane o’ them dress’d in red scarlèt, | |
| An’ twa in dainty green, | 110 |
| An’ they hae girdles about their middles | |
| Wou’d buy an earldome.’ | |
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XXIX
Then out it spake the bierly bride, | |
| Was a’ goud to the chin; | |
| ‘Gin she be braw without,’ she says, | 115 |
| ‘We’s be as braw within.’ | |
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XXX
Then up it starts him, Young Bekie, | |
| And the tears was in his e’e: | |
| ‘I’ll lay my life it’s Burd Isbel, | |
| Come o’er the sea to me.’ | 120 |
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XXXI
O quickly ran he down the stair, | |
| And whan he saw ’t was shee, | |
| He kindly took her in his arms, | |
| And kiss’d her tenderly. | |
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XXXII
‘O hae ye forgotten, Young Bekie, | 125 |
| The vow ye made to me, | |
| Whan I took you out o’ the prison strong, | |
| Whan ye was condemn’d to die? | |
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XXXIII
‘I gae you a steed was good in need, | |
| An’ a saddle o’ royal bone, | 130 |
| A leash o’ hounds o’ ae litter, | |
| An’ Hector callèd one.’ | |
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XXXIV
It was well kent what the lady said, | |
| That it wasnae a lee, | |
| For at ilka word the lady spake, | 135 |
| The hound fell at her knee. | |
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XXXV
‘Tak hame, tak hame your daughter dear, | |
| A blessing gae her wi’! | |
| For I maun marry my Burd Isbel, | |
| That’s come o’er the sea to me.’ | 140 |
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XXXVI
‘Is this the custom o’ your house, | |
| Or the fashion o’ your lan’, | |
| To marry a maid in a May mornin’, | |
| An’ to send her back at even?’ | |
| | | GLOSS: borrow] ransom. but] out. ben] in. rottons] rats. royal bone] ivory. Or than] Or else. Billy Blind] a friendly household fairy. See p.80. marys] maids. bierly] stately. |
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