{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch033.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch033.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch033.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 33A: Kempy Kay\n \n \n 33A.1\tKEMPY KAYE\u2019s a wooing gane,\n Far, far ayont the sea,\n And he has met with an auld, auld man,\n His gudefaythir to be.\n 33A.2\t\u2018It\u2019s I\u2019m coming to court your daughter dear,\n And some part of your gear:\u2019\n \u2018And by my sooth,\u2019 quoth Bengoleer,\n \u2018She\u2019ll sare a man a wear.\n 33A.3\t\u2018My dochter she\u2019s a thrifty lass,\n She span seven year to me,\n And if it were weel counted up,\n Full three heire it would be.\n 33A.4\t\u2018What\u2019s the matter wi you, my fair creature,\n You look so pale and wan?\n I\u2019m sure you was once the fairest creature\n That ever the sun shined on.\n 33A.5\t\u2018Gae scrape yoursel, and gae scart yoursel,\n And mak your brucket face clean,\n For the wooers are to be here to nighte,\n And your body\u2019s to be seen.\u2019\n 33A.6\tSae they scrapit her, and they scartit her,\n Like the face of an aussy pan;\n Syne in cam Kempy Kay himself,\n A clever and tall young man.\n 33A.7\tHis teeth they were like tether-sticks,\n His nose was three fit lang,\n Between his shouthers was ells three,\n And tween his eyne a span.\n 33A.8\tHe led his dochter by the hand,\n His dochter ben brought he:\n \u2018O is she not the fairest lass\n That\u2019s in great Christendye?\u2019\n 33A.9\tIlka hair intil her head\n Was like a heather-cowe,\n And ilka louse anunder it\n Was like a bruckit ewe.\n 33A.10\tShe had tauchy teeth and kaily lips,\n And wide lugs, fou o hair;\n Her pouches fou o peasemeal-daighe\n A\u2019 hinging down her spare.\n 33A.11\tIlka eye intil her head\n Was like a rotten plumbe,\n And down browed was the queyne,\n And sairly did she gloom.\n 33A.12\tIlka nail upon her hand\n Was like an iron rake,\n And ilka tooth intil her head\n Was like a tether-stake.\n * * * * *\n 33A.13\tShe gied to him a gravat,\n O the auld horse\u2019s sheet,\n And he gied her a gay gold ring,\n O the auld couple-root.\n \n \n \n 33B: Kempy Kay\n \n \n 33B.1\tKEMPY KAYE is a wooing gane,\n Far ayont the sea,\n And there he met wi auld Goling,\n His gudefather to be, be,\n His gudefather to be.\n 33B.2\t\u2018Whar are ye gaun, O Kempy Kaye,\n Whar are ye gaun sae sune?\u2019\n \u2018O I am gaun to court a wife,\n And think na ye that\u2019s a weel dune?\u2019\n 33B.3\t\u2018An ye be gaun to court a wife,\n As ye do tell to me,\n \u2019Tis ye sall hae my Fusome Fug,\n Your ae wife for to be.\u2019\n 33B.4\tWhan auld Goling cam to the house,\n He lookit thro a hole,\n And there he saw the dirty drab\n Just whisking oure the coal.\n 33B.5\t\u2018Rise up, rise up my Fusome Fug,\n And mak your foul face clean,\n For the brawest wooer that ere ye saw\n Is come develling doun the green.\u2019\n 33B.6\tUp then rose the Fusome Fug,\n To mak her foul face clean;\n And aye she cursed her mither\n She had na water in.\n 33B.7\tShe rampit out, and she rampit in,\n She rampit but and ben;\n The tittles and tattles that hang frae her tail\n Wad muck an acre o land.\n 33B.8\tShe had a neis upon her face\n Was like an auld pat-fit;\n Atween her neis bot an her mou\n Was inch thick deep wi dirt.\n 33B.9\tShe had twa een intil her head\n War like twa-rotten plums;\n The heavy brows hung doun her face,\n And O I vow she glooms!\n 33B.10\tHe gied to her a braw silk napkin,\n Was made o\u2019 an auld horse-brat:\n \u2018I ne\u2019er wore a silk napkin a\u2019 my life,\n But weel I wat Ise wear that.\u2019\n 33B.11\tHe gied to her a braw gowd ring,\n Was made frae an auld brass pan:\n \u2018I neer wore a gowd ring in a\u2019 my life,\n But now I wat Ise wear ane.\u2019\n 33B.12\tWhan thir twa lovers had met thegither,\n O kissing to get their fill,\n The slaver that hang atween their twa gabs\n Wad hae tetherd a ten year auld bill.\n \n \n \n 33C: Kempy Kay\n \n \n 33C.1\tKEMPY KAYE\u2019s a wooing gane,\n And far beyond the sea, a wee\n And there he met wi Drearylane,\n His gay gudefather to be. a wee\n 33C.2\t\u2018Gude een, gude een,\u2019 quo Drearylane,\n \u2018Gude een, gude een,\u2019 quo he, a wee\n \u2018I\u2019ve come your dochter\u2019s love to win,\n I kenna how it will do.\u2019 a wee\n 33C.3\t\u2018My dochter she\u2019s a thrifty lass,\n She\u2019s spun this gay seven year,\n And if it come to gude guiding,\n It will be half a heer.\u2019\n 33C.4\t\u2018Rise up, rise up, ye dirty slut,\n And wash your foul face clean;\n The wooers will be here the night\n That suld been here yestreen.\u2019\n 33C.5\tThey took him ben to the fire en,\n And set him on a chair;\n He looked on the lass that he loved best,\n And thought she was wondrous fair.\n 33C.6\tThe een that was in our bride\u2019s head\n Was like twa rotten plooms;\n She was a chaunler-chaftit quean,\n And O but she did gloom!\n 33C.7\tThe skin that was on our bride\u2019s breast\n Was like a saffron bag,\n And aye her hand was at her neek,\n And riving up the scabs.\n 33C.8\tThe hair that was on our bride\u2019s head\n Was like a heather-cow,\n And every louse that lookit out\n Was like a brockit ewe.\n 33C.9\tBetwixd Kempy\u2019s shouthers was three ells,\n His nose was nine feet lang,\n His teeth they were like tether sticks,\n Between his eyne a span.\n 33C.10\tSo aye they kissed, and aye they clapped,\n I wat they kissed weel;\n The slaver that hang between their mouths\n Wad hae tethered a twa year auld bill.\n \n \n \n 33D: Kempy Kay\n \n \n 33D.1\t* * * *\n The father came unto the door,\n And keeked thro the key-hole, a wee\n And there he saw his dochter Jean,\n Sitting on a coal. a wee\n 33D.2\tThey scartit her, and scrapit her,\n Wi the hand o a rusty pan, a wee\n Her father he did all his best\n For to get her a man. a wee\n 33D.3\tShe is to the stoups gane,\n There is nae water in;\n She\u2019s cursed the hands and ban\u2019d the feet\n That did na bring it in.\n 33D.4\tOut then spak her auld mither,\n In her bed whare she lay:\n \u2018If there is nae water in the house,\n Gae harl her thro the lin.\u2019\n 33D.5\tO she is to the taipy tapples gane,\n That stood for seven year,\n And there she washed her foul face clean,\n And dried it wi a huggar.\n 33D.6\tHe\u2019s gien her a gay gold ring,\n Just like a cable-rope,\n And she\u2019s gien him a gay gravat,\n Made out o the tail o a sark.\n \n \n \n 33E: Kempy Kay\n \n \n 33E.1\t\u2018GUD een, gud een,\u2019 says Chickmakin,\n \u2018Ye\u2019re welcome here,\u2019 says Drowsy Lane;\n \u2018I\u2019m comd to court your daughter Jean,\n And marry her wi yer will, a wee.\u2019\n 33E.2\t\u2018My daughter Jean\u2019s a thrifty lass,\n She\u2019s spun these seven lang years to me,\n And gin she spin another seven,\n She\u2019ll munt a half an heir, a wee.\u2019\n 33E.3\tDrowsy Lane, it\u2019s he\u2019s gane hame,\n And keekit through the hole, a wee\n And there he saw his daughter Jean\n A reeking oer the coal. a wee\n 33E.4\t\u2018Get up, get up, ye dirty bitch,\n And wash yer foul face clean,\n For they are to be here the night\n That should hae been here yestreen.\u2019\n 33E.5\tUp she rose, pat on her clothes,\n She\u2019s washen her foul face clean;\n She cursed the hands, she ban\u2019d the feet,\n That wadna bring the water in.\n 33E.6\tShe rubbit hersel, she scrubbit hersel,\n Wi the side of a rustit pan, a wee,\n And in a little came Chickmakin,\n A braw young lad indeed was he.\n 33E.7\tHis teeth they were like tether-steeks,\n His nose was five feet lang;\n Between his shoulders was nine yards broad,\n And between his een a span.\n 33E.8\tIlka hair into his head\n Was like a heather-cowe,\n And ilka louse that lookit out\n Was like a brookit ewe.\n 33E.9\tThae twa kissd and thae twa clapt,\n And thae twa kissd their fill,\n And aye the slaver between them hang\n Wad tetherd a ten-pund bull.\n 33E.10\tThey twa kissd and they twa clapt,\n And they gaed to their bed, a wee,\n And at their head a knocking stane\n And at their feet a mell, a wee.\n 33E.11\tThe auld wife she lay in her bed:\n \u2018And gin ye\u2019ll do my bidding a wee,\n And gin ye\u2019ll do my bidding,\u2019 quoth she,\n \u2018Yees whirl her oer the lea, a wee.\u2019\n \n \n \n 33F: Kempy Kay\n \n \n 33F.1\tAS I cam oer yon misty muir,\n And oer yon grass-green hill,\n There I saw a campy carle\n Going to the mill.\n Refrain:\tAnd bar aye yer bower door weel weel,\n And bar ay yer bower door weel.\n 33F.2\tI lookit in at her window,\n And in at her hove hole,\n And there I saw a fousome fag,\n Cowering oer a coal.\n 33F.3\t\u2018Get up, get up, ye fousome fag,\n And make yer face fou clean;\n For the wooers will be here the night,\n And your body will be seen.\u2019\n 33F.4\tHe gave her a gay cravat,\n \u2019Twas of an auld horse-sheet;\n He gave her a gay goud ring,\n \u2019Twas of an auld tree root.\n 33F.5\tHe laid his arms about her neck,\n They were like kipple-roots;\n And aye he kissd her wi his lips,\n They were like meller\u2019s hoops.\n 33F.6\tWhen they were laid in marriage bed,\n And covered oer wi fail,\n The knocking mell below their heads\n Did serve them wondrous weel.\n 33F.7\tIlka pap into her breasts\n Was like a saffron bag,\n And aye his hand at her a . . e\n Was tearing up the scabs.\n 33F.8\tIlka hair into her head\n Was like a heather-cow,\n And ilka louse that lookit out\n Was like a brookit ewe.\n \n \n \n 33G: Kempy Kay\n \n \n 33G.1\tKING KNAPPERTY he\u2019s a hunting gane,\n Oer hills and mountains high, high, high,\n A gude pike-staff intill his hand,\n And dulgets anew forbye,I, I, I,\n And dulgets anew forbye.\n 33G.2\tThen he met in wi an auld woman,\n Was feeding her flocks near by, I, I, I:\n \u2018I\u2019m come a wooing to your daughter,\n And a very gude bargain am I, I, I.\u2019\n 33G.3\tAnd she\u2019s awa to her wee hole house,\n Lookd in a wee chip hole,\n And there she saw her filthy wee flag,\n Was sitting athort the coal.\n 33G.4\t\u2018Get up, get up, ye filthy foul flag,\n And make your foul face clean;\n There are wooers coming to the town,\n And your foul face mauna be seen.\u2019\n 33G.5\tThen up she raise, an awa she gaes,\n And in at the back o the door,\n And there a pig o water she saw,\n \u2019Twas seven years auld an mair.\n 33G.6\tAye she rubbed, an aye she scrubbed,\n To make her foul face clean,\n And aye she bannd the auld wife, her mither,\n For nae bringing clean water in.\n 33G.7\tKing Knapperty he came in at the door,\n Stood even up in the floor;\n Altho that she had neer seen him before,\n She kent him to be her dear.\n 33G.8\tHe has taen her in his arms twa,\n And kissd her, cheek and chin:\n \u2018I neer was kissd afore in my life,\n But this night got mony ane.\u2019\n 33G.9\tHe has put his hand in his pocket,\n And he\u2019s taen out a ring:\n Says, \u2018Take ye that, my dearest dear,\n It is made o the brazen pan.\u2019\n 33G.10\tShe thankd him ance, she thankd him twice,\n She thankd him oer again:\n \u2018I neer got a ring before in my life,\n But this night hae gotten ane.\u2019\n 33G.11\tThese lovers bed it was well made,\n And at their hearts\u2019 desire;\n These lovers bed it was well made,\n At the side o the kitchen fire.\n 33G.12\tThe bolster that these lovers had\n Was the mattock an the mell,\n And the covring that these lovers had\n Was the clouted cloak an pale.\n 33G.13\tThe draps that fell frae her twa een\n Woud have gard a froth-mill gang,\n An [the] clunkerts that hung at their heels\n Woud hae muckd an acre o land.\n 33G.14\tAn ilka hair that was in their head\n Was like a heather-cow,\n And ilka tenant that it containd\n Was like a linsteed-bow.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Next: 34. Kemp Owyne","title":"The Child Ballads: 33. Kempy Kay","type":"page"}