{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch042.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch042.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch042.htm","text":"42A.1 CLARK COLVEN and his gay ladie,\nAs they walked to yon garden green,\nA belt about her middle gimp,\nWhich cost Clark Colven crowns fifteen:\n42A.2 \u2018O hearken weel now, my good lord,\nO hearken weel to what I say;\nWhen ye gang to the wall o Stream,\nO gang nae neer the well-fared may.\u2019\n42A.3 \u2018O haud your tongue, my gay ladie,\nTak nae sic care o me;\nFor I nae saw a fair woman\nI like so well as thee.\u2019\n42A.4 He mounted on his berry-brown steed,\nAnd merry, merry rade he on,\nTill he came to the wall o Stream,\nAnd there he saw the mermaiden.\n42A.5 \u2018Ye wash, ye wash, ye bonny may,\nAnd ay\u2019s ye wash your sark o silk:\u2019\n\u2018It\u2019s a\u2019 for you, ye gentle knight,\nMy skin is whiter than the milk.\u2019\n42A.6 He\u2019s taen her by the milk-white hand,\nHe\u2019s taen her by the sleeve sae green,\nAnd he\u2019s forgotten his gay ladie,\nAnd away with the fair maiden.\n* * * * *\n42A.7 \u2018Ohon, alas!\u2019 says Clark Colven,\n\u2018And aye sae sair\u2019s I mean my head!\u2019\nAnd merrily leugh the mermaiden,\n\u2018O win on till you be dead.\n42A.8 \u2018But out ye tak your little pen-knife,\nAnd frae my sark ye shear a gare;\nRow that about your lovely head,\nAnd the pain ye\u2019ll never feel nae mair.\u2019\n42A.9 Out he has taen his little pen-knife,\nAnd frae her sark he\u2019s shorn a gare,\nRowed that about his lovely head,\nBut the pain increased mair and mair.\n42A.10 \u2018Ohon, alas!\u2019 says Clark Colven,\n\u2018An aye sae sair\u2019s I mean my head!\u2019\nAnd merrily laughd the mermaiden,\n\u2018It will ay be war till ye be dead.\u2019\n42A.11 Then out he drew his trusty blade,\nAnd thought wi it to be her dead,\nBut she\u2019s become a fish again,\nAnd merrily sprang into the fleed.\n42A.12 He\u2019s mounted on his berry-brown steed,\nAnd dowy, dowy rade he home,\nAnd heavily, heavily lighted down\nWhen to his ladie\u2019s bower-door he came.\n42A.13 \u2018Oh, mither, mither, mak my bed,\nAnd, gentle ladie, lay me down;\nOh, brither, brither, unbend my bow,\n\u2019Twill never be bent by me again.\u2019\n42A.14 His mither she has made his bed,\nHis gentle ladie laid him down,\nHis brither he has unbent his bow,\n\u2019Twas never bent by him again.\n42B: Clerk Colvill\n42B.1 CLERK COLVILL and his lusty dame\nWere walking in the garden green;\nThe belt around her stately waist\nCost Clerk Colvill of pounds fifteen.\n42B.2 \u2018O promise me now, Clerk Colvill,\nOr it will cost ye muckle strife,\nRide never by the wells of Slane,\nIf ye wad live and brook your life.\u2019\n42B.3 \u2018Now speak nae mair, my lusty dame,\nNow speak nae mair of that to me;\nDid I neer see a fair woman,\nBut I wad sin with her body?\u2019\n42B.4 He\u2019s taen leave o his gay lady,\nNought minding what his lady said,\nAnd he\u2019s rode by the wells of Slane,\nWhere washing was a bonny maid.\n42B.5 \u2018Wash on, wash on, my bonny maid,\nThat wash sae clean your sark of silk;\u2019\n\u2018And weel fa you, fair gentleman,\nYour body whiter than the milk.\u2019\n* * * * *\n42B.6 Then loud, loud cry\u2019d the Clerk Colvill,\n\u2018O my head it pains me sair;\u2019\n\u2018Then take, then take,\u2019 the maiden said,\n\u2018And frae my sark you\u2019ll cut a gare.\u2019\n42B.7 Then she\u2019s gied him a little bane-knife,\nAnd frae her sark he cut a share;\nShe\u2019s ty\u2019d it round his whey-white face,\nBut ay his head it aked mair.\n42B.8 Then louder cry\u2019d the Clerk Colvill,\n\u2018O sairer, sairer akes my head;\u2019\n\u2018And sairer, sairer ever will,\u2019\nThe maiden crys, \u2019Till you be dead.\u2019\n42B.9 Out then he drew his shining blade,\nThinking to stick her where she stood,\nBut she was vanishd to a fish,\nAnd swam far off, a fair mermaid.\n42B.10 \u2018O mother, mother, braid my hair;\nMy lusty lady, make my bed;\nO brother, take my sword and spear,\nFor I have seen the false mermaid.\u2019\n42C: Clerk Colvill\n42C.1 CLERK COLIN and his mother dear\nWere in the garden green;\nThe band that was about her neck\nCost Colin pounds fifteen;\nThe belt about her middle sae sma\nCost twice as much again.\n42C.2 \u2018Forbidden gin ye wad be, love Colin,\nForbidden gin ye wad be,\nAnd gang nae mair to Clyde\u2019s water,\nTo court yon gay ladie.\u2019\n42C.3 \u2018Forbid me frae your ha, mother,\nForbid me frae your bour,\nBut forbid me not frae yon ladie;\nShe\u2019s fair as ony flour.\n42C.4 \u2018Forbidden I winna be, mother,\nForbidden I winna be,\nFor I maun gang to Clyde\u2019s water,\nTo court yon gay ladie.\u2019\n42C.5 An he is on his saddle set,\nAs fast as he could win,\nAn he is on to Clyde\u2019s water,\nBy the lee licht o the moon.\n42C.6 An when he cam to the Clyde\u2019s water\nHe lichted lowly down,\nAn there he saw the mermaiden,\nWashin silk upon a stane.\n42C.7 \u2018Come down, come down, now, Clerk Colin,\nCome down an [fish] wi me;\nI\u2019ll row ye in my arms twa,\nAn a foot I sanna jee.\u2019\n* * * * *\n42C.8 \u2018O mother, mother, mak my bed,\nAnd, sister, lay me doun,\nAn brother, tak my bow an shoot,\nFor my shooting is done.\u2019\n42C.9 He wasna weel laid in his bed,\nNor yet weel fa\u2019en asleep,\nWhen up an started the mermaiden,\nJust at Clerk Colin\u2019s feet.\n42C.10 \u2018Will ye lie there an die, Clerk Colin,\nWill ye lie there an die?\nOr will ye gang to Clyde\u2019s water,\nTo fish in flood wi me?\u2019\n42C.11 \u2018I will lie here an die,\u2019 he said,\n\u2018I will lie here an die;\nIn spite o a\u2019 the deils in hell\nI will lie here an die.\u2019","title":"The Child Ballads: 42. Clerk Colvill","type":"page"}