{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch025.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch025.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch025.htm","text":"25A.1 \u2018WILLIE, Willie, I\u2019ll learn you a wile,\u2019\nRefrain: And the sun shines over the valleys and a\u2019\n\u2018How this pretty fair maid ye may beguile.\u2019\nRefrain: Amang the blue flowrs and the yellow and a\u2019\n25A.2 \u2018Ye maun lie doun just as ye were dead,\nAnd tak your winding-sheet around your head.\n25A.3 \u2018Ye maun gie the bellman his bell-groat,\nTo ring your dead-bell at your lover\u2019s yett.\u2019\n25A.4 He lay doun just as he war dead,\nAnd took his winding-sheet round his head.\n25A.5 He gied the bellman his bell-groat,\nTo ring his dead-bell at his lover\u2019s yett.\n25A.6 \u2018O wha is this that is dead, I hear?\u2019\n\u2018O wha but Willie that loed ye sae dear.\u2019\n25A.7 She is to her father\u2019s chamber gone,\nAnd on her knees she\u2019s fallen down.\n25A.8 \u2018O father, O father, ye maun grant me this;\nI hope that ye will na tak it amiss.\n25A.9 \u2018That I to Willie\u2019s burial should go;\nFor he is dead, full well I do know.\u2019\n25A.10 \u2018Ye\u2019ll tak your seven bauld brethren wi thee,\nAnd to Willie\u2019s burial straucht go ye.\u2019\n25A.11 It\u2019s whan she cam to the outmost yett,\nShe made the silver fly round for his sake.\n25A.12 It\u2019s whan she cam to the inmost yett,\nShe made the red gowd fly round for his sake.\n25A.13 As she walked frae the court to the parlour there,\nThe pretty corpse syne began for to steer.\n25A.14 He took her by the waist sae neat and sae sma,\nAnd threw her atween him and the wa.\n25A.15 \u2018O Willie, O Willie, let me alane this nicht,\nO let me alane till we\u2019re wedded richt.\u2019\n25A.16 \u2018Ye cam unto me baith sae meek and mild,\nBut I\u2019ll mak ye gae hame a wedded wife wi child.\u2019\n25B: Willie\u2019s Lyke-Wake\n25B.1 \u2018O Willie my son, what makes you sae sad?\u2019\nRefrain: As the sun shines over the valley\n\u2018I lye sarely sick for the love of a maid.\u2019\nRefrain: Amang the blue flowers and the yellow\n25B.2 \u2018Were she an heiress or lady sae free,\nThat she will take no pity on thee?\n25B.3 \u2018O Willie, my son, I\u2019ll learn you a wile,\nHow this fair maid ye may beguile.\n25B.4 \u2018Ye\u2019ll gie the principal bellman a groat,\nAnd ye\u2019ll gar him cry your dead lyke-wake.\u2019\n25B.5 Then he gae the principal bellman a groat,\nHe bade him cry his dead lyke-wake.\n25B.6 This maiden she stood till she heard it a\u2019,\nAnd down frae her cheeks the tears did fa.\n25B.7 She is hame to her father\u2019s ain bower:\n\u2018I\u2019ll gang to yon lyke-wake ae single hour.\u2019\n25B.8 \u2018Ye must take with you your ain brither John;\nIt\u2019s not meet for maidens to venture alone.\u2019\n25B.9 \u2018I\u2019ll not take with me my brither John,\nBut I\u2019ll gang along, myself all alone.\u2019\n25B.10 When she came to young Willie\u2019s yate,\nHis seven brithers were standing thereat.\n25B.11 Then they did conduct her into the ha,\nAmang the weepers and merry mourners a\u2019.\n25B.12 When she lifted up the covering sae red,\nWith melancholy countenance to look on the dead,\n25B.13 He\u2019s taen her in his arms, laid her gainst the wa,\nSays, \u2018Lye ye here, fair maid, till day.\u2019\n25B.14 \u2018O spare me, O spare me, but this single night,\nAnd let me gang hame a maiden sae bright.\u2019\n25B.15 \u2018Tho all your kin were about your bower,\nYe shall not be a maiden ae single hour.\n25B.16 \u2018Fair maid, ye came here without a convoy,\nBut ye shall return wi a horse and a boy.\n25B.17 \u2018Ye came here a maiden sae mild,\nBut ye shall gae hame a wedded wife with child.\u2019\n25C: Willie\u2019s Lyke-Wake\n25C.1 \u2018O WILLIE, Willie, what makes thee so sad?\u2019\nRefrain: And the sun shines over the valley\n\u2018I have loved a lady these seven years and mair.\u2019\nRefrain: Down amang the blue flowers and the yellow\n25C.2 \u2018O Willie, lie down as thou were dead,\nAnd lay thy winding-sheet down at thy head.\n25C.3 \u2018And gie to the bellman a belling-great,\nTo ring the dead-bell at thy love\u2019s bower-yett.\u2019\n25C.4 He laid him down as he were dead,\nAnd he drew the winding-sheet oer his head.\n25C.5 He gied to the bellman a belling-great,\nTo ring the dead-bell at his love\u2019s bower-yett.\n* * * * *\n25C.6 When that she came to her true lover\u2019s gate,\nShe dealt the red gold and all for his sake.\n25C.7 And when that she came to her true lover\u2019s bower,\nShe had not been there for the space of half an hour,\n25C.8 Till that she cam to her true lover\u2019s bed,\nAnd she lifted the winding-sheet to look at the dead.\n25C.9 He took her by the hand so meek and sma,\nAnd he cast her over between him and the wa.\n25C.10 \u2018Tho all your friends were in the bower,\nI would not let you go for the space of half an hour.\n25C.11 \u2018You came to me without either horse or boy,\nBut I will send you home with a merry convoy.\u2019\n25D: Willie\u2019s Lyke-Wake\n25D.1 \u2018O JOHNIE, dear Johnie, what makes ye sae sad?\u2019\nRefrain: As the sun shines ower the valley\n\u2018I think nae music will mak ye glad.\u2019\nRefrain: Amang the blue flowers and the yellow\n25[E]: Willie\u2019s Lyke-Wake\n25[E].1 \u2018If my love loves me, she lets me not know,\nThat is a dowie chance;\nI wish that I the same could do,\nTho my love were in France, France,\nTho my love were in France.\n25[E.2] \u2018O lang think I, and very lang,\nAnd lang think I, I true;\nBut lang and langer will I think\nOr my love o me rue.\n25[E.3] \u2018I will write a broad letter,\nAnd write it sae perfite,\nThat an she winna o me rue,\nI\u2019ll bid her come to my lyke.\u2019\n25[E.4] Then he has written a broad letter,\nAnd seald it wi his hand,\nAnd sent it on to his true love,\nAs fast as boy could gang.\n25[E.5] When she looked the letter upon,\nA light laugh then gae she;\nBut ere she read it to an end,\nThe tear blinded her ee.\n25[E.6] \u2018O saddle to me a steed, father,\nO saddle to me a steed;\nFor word is come to me this night,\nThat my true love is dead.\u2019\n25[E.7] \u2018The steeds are in the stable, daughter,\nThe keys are casten by;\nYe cannot won to-night, daughter,\nTo-morrow ye\u2019se won away.\u2019\n25[E.8] She has cut aff her yellow locks,\nA little aboon her ee,\nAnd she is on to Willie\u2019s lyke,\nAs fast as gang could she.\n25[E.9] As she gaed ower yon high hill head,\nShe saw a dowie light;\nIt was the candles at Willie\u2019s lyke,\nAnd torches burning bright.\n25[E.10] Three o Willie\u2019s eldest brothers\nWere making for him a bier;\nOne half o it was gude red gowd,\nThe other siller clear.\n25[E.11] Three o Willie\u2019s eldest sisters\nWere making for him a sark;\nThe one half o it was cambric fine,\nThe other needle wark.\n25[E.12] Out spake the youngest o his sisters,\nAs she stood on the fleer:\nHow happy would our brother been,\nIf ye\u2019d been sooner here!\n25[E.13] She lifted up the green covering,\nAnd gae him kisses three;\nThen he lookd up into her face,\nThe blythe blink in his ee.\n25[E.14] O then he started to his feet,\nAnd thus to her said he:\nFair Annie, since we\u2019re met again,\nParted nae mair we\u2019se be.","title":"The Child Ballads: 25. Willie's Lyke-Wake","type":"page"}