{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch037.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch037.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch037.htm","text":"37A.1 TRUE THOMAS lay oer yond grassy bank,\nAnd he beheld a ladie gay,\nA ladie that was brisk and bold,\nCome riding oer the fernie brae.\n37A.2 Her skirt was of the grass-green silk,\nHer mantel of the velvet fine,\nAt ilka tett of her horse\u2019s mane\nHung fifty silver bells and nine.\n37A.3 True Thomas he took off his hat,\nAnd bowed him low down till his knee:\n\u2018All hail, thou mighty Queen of Heaven!\nFor your peer on earth I never did see.\u2019\n37A.4 \u2018O no, O no, True Thomas,\u2019 she says,\n\u2018That name does not belong to me;\nI am but the queen of fair Elfland,\nAnd I\u2019m come here for to visit thee.\n* * * * *\n37A.5 \u2018But ye maun go wi me now, Thomas,\nTrue Thomas, ye maun go wi me,\nFor ye maun serve me seven years,\nThro weel or wae as may chance to be.\u2019\n37A.6 She turned about her milk-white steed,\nAnd took True Thomas up behind,\nAnd aye wheneer her bridle rang,\nThe steed flew swifter than the wind.\n37A.7 For forty days and forty nights\nHe wade thro red blude to the knee,\nAnd he saw neither sun nor moon,\nBut heard the roaring of the sea.\n37A.8 O they rade on, and further on,\nUntil they came to a garden green:\n\u2018Light down, light down, ye ladie free,\nSome of that fruit let me pull to thee.\u2019\n37A.9 \u2018O no, O no, True Thomas,\u2019 she says,\n\u2018That fruit maun not be touched by thee,\nFor a\u2019 the plagues that are in hell\nLight on the fruit of this countrie.\n37A.10 \u2018But I have a loaf here in my lap,\nLikewise a bottle of claret wine,\nAnd now ere we go farther on,\nWe\u2019ll rest a while, and ye may dine.\u2019\n37A.11 When he had eaten and drunk his fill,\n\u2018Lay down your head upon my knee,\u2019\nThe lady sayd, re we climb yon hill,\nAnd I will show you fairlies three.\n37A.12 \u2018O see not ye yon narrow road,\nSo thick beset wi thorns and briers?\nThat is the path of righteousness,\nTho after it but few enquires.\n37A.13 \u2018And see not ye that braid braid road,\nThat lies across yon lillie leven?\nThat is the path of wickedness,\nTho some call it the road to heaven.\n37A.14 \u2018And see not ye that bonny road,\nWhich winds about the fernie brae?\nThat is the road to fair Elfland,\nWhe[re] you and I this night maun gae.\n37A.15 \u2018But Thomas, ye maun hold your tongue,\nWhatever you may hear or see,\nFor gin ae word you should chance to speak,\nYou will neer get back to your ain countrie.\u2019\n37A.16 He has gotten a coat of the even cloth,\nAnd a pair of shoes of velvet green,\nAnd till seven years were past and gone\nTrue Thomas on earth was never seen.\n37B: Thomas Rymer\n37B.1 As Thomas lay on Huntlie banks-+-\nA wat a weel bred man was he-+-\nAnd there he spied a lady fair,\nComing riding down by the Eildon tree.\n37B.2 The horse she rode on was dapple gray,\nAnd in her hand she held bells nine;\nI thought I heard this fair lady say\nThese fair siller bells they should a\u2019 be mine.\n37B.3 It\u2019s Thomas even forward went,\nAnd lootit low down on his knee:\n\u2018Weel met thee save, my lady fair,\nFor thou\u2019rt the flower o this countrie.\u2019\n37B.4 \u2018O no, O no, Thomas,\u2019 she says,\n\u2018O no, O no, that can never be,\nFor I\u2019m but a lady of an unco land,\nComd out a hunting, as ye may see.\n37B.5 \u2018O harp and carp, Thomas,\u2019 she says,\n\u2018O harp and carp, and go wi me;\nIt\u2019s be seven years, Thomas, and a day,\nOr you see man or woman in your ain countrie.\u2019\n37B.6 It\u2019s she has rode, and Thomas ran,\nUntil they cam to yon water clear;\nHe\u2019s coosten off his hose and shon,\nAnd he\u2019s wooden the water up to the knee.\n37B.7 It\u2019s she has rode, and Thomas ran,\nUntil they cam to yon garden green;\nHe\u2019s put up his hand for to pull down ane,\nFor the lack o food he was like to tyne.\n37B.8 \u2018Hold your hand, Thomas,\u2019 she says,\n\u2018Hold your hand, that must not be;\nIt was a\u2019 that cursed fruit o thine\nBeggared man and woman in your countrie.\n37B.9 \u2018But I have a loaf and a soup o wine,\nAnd ye shall go and dine wi me;\nAnd lay yer head down in my lap,\nAnd I will tell ye farlies three.\n37B.10 \u2018It\u2019s dont ye see yon broad broad way,\nThat leadeth down by yon skerry fell?\nIt\u2019s ill\u2019s the man that dothe thereon gang,\nFor it leadeth him straight to the gates o hell.\n37B.11 \u2018It\u2019s dont ye see yon narrow way,\nThat leadeth down by yon lillie lea?\nIt\u2019s weel\u2019s the man that doth therein gang,\nFor it leads him straight to the heaven hie.\u2019\n* * * * *\n37B.12 It\u2019s when she cam into the hall-+-\nI wat a weel bred man was he-+-\nThey\u2019ve asked him question[s], one and all,\nBut he answered none but that fair ladie.\n37B.13 O they speerd at her where she did him get,\nAnd she told them at the Eildon tree;\n. . . . . .\n. . . . .\n37C: Thomas Rymer\n37C.1 TRUE Thomas lay on Huntlie bank,\nA ferlie he spied wi\u2019 his ee,\nAnd there he saw a lady bright,\nCome riding down by the Eildon Tree.\n37C.2 Her shirt was o the grass-green silk,\nHer mantle o the velvet fyne,\nAt ilka tett of her horse\u2019s mane\nHang fifty siller bells and nine.\n37C.3 True Thomas, he pulld aff his cap,\nAnd louted low down to his knee:\n\u2018All hail, thou mighty Queen of Heaven!\nFor thy peer on earth I never did see.\u2019\n37C.4 \u2018O no, O no, Thomas,\u2019 she said,\n\u2018That name does not belang to me;\nI am but the queen of fair Elfland,\nThat am hither come to visit thee.\n37C.5 \u2018Harp and carp, Thomas,\u2019 she said,\n\u2018Harp and carp along wi me,\nAnd if ye dare to kiss my lips,\nSure of your bodie I will be.\u2019\n37C.6 \u2018Betide me weal, betide me woe,\nThat weird shall never daunton me;\u2019\nSyne he has kissed her rosy lips,\nAll underneath the Eildon Tree.\n37C.7 \u2018Now, ye maun go wi me,\u2019 she said,\n\u2018True Thomas, ye maun go wi me,\nAnd ye maun serve me seven years,\nThro weal or woe, as may chance to be.\u2019\n37C.8 She mounted on her milk-white steed,\nShe\u2019s taen True Thomas up behind,\nAnd aye wheneer her bridle rung,\nThe steed flew swifter than the wind.\n37C.9 O they rade on, and farther on-+-\nThe steed gaed swifter than the wind-+-\nUntill they reached a desart wide,\nAnd living land was left behind.\n37C.10 \u2018Light down, light down, now, True Thomas,\nAnd lean your head upon my knee;\nAbide and rest a little space,\nAnd I will shew you ferlies three.\n37C.11 \u2018O see ye not yon narrow road,\nSo thick beset with thorns and briers?\nThat is the path of righteousness,\nTho after it but few enquires.\n37C.12 \u2018And see not ye that braid braid road,\nThat lies across that lily leven?\nThat is the path of wickedness,\nTho some call it the road to heaven.\n37C.13 \u2018And see not ye that bonny road,\nThat winds about the fernie brae?\nThat is the road to fair Elfland,\nWhere thou and I this night maun gae.\n37C.14 \u2018But, Thomas, ye maun hold your tongue,\nWhatever ye may hear or see,\nFor, if you speak word in Elflyn land,\nYe\u2019ll neer get back to your ain countrie.\u2019\n37C.15 O they rade on, and farther on,\nAnd they waded thro rivers aboon the knee,\nAnd they saw neither sun nor moon,\nBut they heard the roaring of the sea.\n37C.16 It was mirk mirk night, and there was nae stern light,\nAnd they waded thro red blude to the knee;\nFor a\u2019 the blude that\u2019s shed on earth\nRins thro the springs o that countrie.\n37C.17 Syne they came on to a garden green,\nAnd she pu\u2019d an apple frae a tree:\n\u2018Take this for thy wages, True Thomas,\nIt will give the tongue that can never lie.\u2019\n37C.18 \u2018My tongue is mine ain,\u2019 True Thomas said;\n\u2018A gudely gift ye wad gie to me!\nI neither dought to buy nor sell,\nAt fair or tryst where I may be.\n37C.19 \u2018I dought neither speak to prince or peer,\nNor ask of grace from fair ladye:\u2019\n\u2018Now hold thy peace,\u2019 the lady said,\n\u2018For as I say, so must it be.\u2019\n37C.20 He has gotten a coat of the even cloth,\nAnd a pair of shoes of velvet green,\nAnd till seven years were gane and past\nTrue Thomas on earth was never seen.","title":"The Child Ballads: 37. Thomas Rymer","type":"page"}