{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch032.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch032.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch032.htm","text":"Sacred Texts\u00a0\n Legends & Sagas\u00a0\n England\u00a0\n Index\u00a0\n Previous\u00a0\n Next\u00a0\n \n \n \n 32: King Henry\n \n \n 32.1\tLAT never a man a wooing wend\n That lacketh thingis three;\n A routh o gold, an open heart,\n Ay fu o charity.\n 32.2\tAs this I speak of King Henry,\n For he lay burd-alone;\n An he\u2019s doen him to a jelly hunt\u2019s ha,\n Was seven miles frae a town.\n 32.3\tHe chas\u2019d the deer now him before,\n An the roe down by the den,\n Till the fattest buch in a\u2019 the flock\n King Henry he has slain.\n 32.4\tO he has doen him to his ha,\n To make him beerly cheer;\n An in it came a griesly ghost,\n Steed stappin i the fleer.\n 32.5\tHer head hat the reef-tree o the house,\n Her middle ye mot wel span;\n He\u2019s thrown to her his gay mantle,\n Says, \u2018Lady, hap your lingcan.\u2019\n 32.6\tHer teeth was a\u2019 like teather stakes,\n Her nose like club or mell;\n An I ken naething she \u2019peard to be,\n But the fiend that wons in hell.\n 32.7\t\u2018Some meat, some meat, ye King Henry,\n Some meat ye gie to me!\u2019\n \u2018An what meat\u2019s in this house, lady,\n An what ha I to gie?\u2019\n \u2018O ye do kill your berry-brown steed,\n An you bring him here to me.\u2019\n 32.8\tO whan he slew his berry-brown steed,\n Wow but his heart was sair!\n Shee eat him [a\u2019] up, skin an bane,\n Left naething but hide an hair.\n 32.9\t\u2018Mair meat, mair meat, ye King Henry,\n Mair meat ye gi to me!\u2019\n \u2018An what meat\u2019s in this house, lady,\n An what ha I to gi?\u2019\n \u2018O ye do kill your good gray-hounds,\n An ye bring them a\u2019 to me.\u2019\n 32.10\tO whan he slew his good gray-hounds,\n Wow but his heart was sair!\n She eat them a\u2019 up, skin an bane,\n Left naething but hide an hair.\n 32.11\t\u2018Mair meat, mair meat, ye King Henry,\n Mair meat ye gi to me!\u2019\n \u2018An what meat\u2019s i this house, lady,\n An what ha I to gi?\u2019\n \u2018O ye do kill your gay gos-hawks,\n An ye bring them here to me.\u2019\n 32.12\tO whan he slew his gay gos-hawks,\n Wow but his heart was sair!\n She eat them a\u2019 up, skin an bane,\n Left naething but feathers bare.\n 32.13\t\u2018Some drink, some drink, now, King Henry,\n Some drink ye bring to me!\u2019\n \u2018O what drink\u2019s i this house, lady,\n That you\u2019re nae welcome ti?\u2019\n \u2018O ye sew up your horse\u2019s hide,\n An bring in a drink to me.\u2019\n 32.14\tAnd he\u2019s sewd up the bloody hide,\n A puncheon o wine put in;\n She drank it a\u2019 up at a waught,\n Left na ae drap ahin.\n 32.15\t\u2018A bed, a bed, now, King Henry,\n A bed you mak to me!\n For ye maun pu the heather green,\n An mak a bed to me.\u2019\n 32.16\tO pu\u2019d has he the heather green,\n An made to her a bed,\n An up has he taen his gay mantle,\n An oer it has he spread.\n 32.17\t\u2018Tak aff your claiths, now, King Henry,\n An lye down by my side!\u2019\n \u2018O God forbid,\u2019 says King Henry,\n \u2018That ever the like betide;\n That ever the fiend that wons in hell\n Shoud streak down by my side.\u2019\n * * * * *\n 32.18\tWhan night was gane, and day was come,\n An the sun shone throw the ha,\n The fairest lady that ever was seen\n Lay atween him an the wa.\n 32.19\t\u2018O well is me!\u2019 says King Henry,\n \u2018How lang\u2019ll this last wi me?\u2019\n Then out it spake that fair lady,\n \u2018Even till the day you dee.\n 32.20\t\u2018For I\u2019ve met wi mony a gentle knight\n That\u2019s gien me sic a fill,\n But never before wi a courteous knight\n That ga me a\u2019 my will.\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Next: 33. Kempy Kay","title":"The Child Ballads: 32. King Henry","type":"page"}