{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch051.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch051.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch051.htm","text":"51A.1 LIZIE WAN sits at her father\u2019s bower-door,\nWeeping and making a mane,\nAnd by there came her father dear:\n\u2018What ails thee, Lizie Wan?\u2019\n51A.2 \u2018I ail, and I ail, dear father,\u2019 she said,\n\u2018And I\u2019ll tell you a reason for why;\nThere is a child between my twa sides,\nBetween my dear billy and I.\u2019\n51A.3 Now Lizie Wan sits at her father\u2019s bower-door,\nSighing and making a mane,\nAnd by there came her brother dear:\n\u2018What ails thee, Lizie Wan?\u2019\n51A.4 \u2018I ail, I ail, dear brither,\u2019 she said,\n\u2018And I\u2019ll tell you a reason for why;\nThere is a child bewteen my twa sides,\nBetween you, dear billy, and I.\u2019\n51A.5 \u2018And hast thou tald father and mother o that?\nAnd hast thou tald sae o me?\u2019\nAnd he has drawn his gude braid sword,\nThat hung down by his knee.\n51A.6 And he has cutted aff Lizie Wan\u2019s head,\nAnd her fair body in three,\nAnd he\u2019s awa to his mothers bower,\nAnd sair aghast was he.\n51A.7 \u2018What ails thee, what ails thee, Geordy Wan?\nWhat ails thee sae fast to rin?\nFor I see by thy ill colour\nSome fallow\u2019s deed thou hast done.\u2019\n51A.8 \u2018Some fallow\u2019s deed I have done, mother,\nAnd I pray you pardon me;\nFor I\u2019ve cutted aff my greyhound\u2019s head;\nHe wadna rin for me.\u2019\n51A.9 \u2018Thy greyhound\u2019s bluid was never sae red,\nO my son Geordy Wan!\nFor I see by thy ill colour\nSome fallow\u2019s deed thou hast done.\u2019\n51A.10 \u2018Some fallow\u2019s deed I hae done, mother,\nAnd I pray you pardon me;\nFor I hae cutted aff Lizie Wan\u2019s head\nAnd her fair body in three.\u2019\n51A.11 \u2018O what wilt thou do when thy father comes hame,\nO my son Geordy Wan?\u2019\n\u2018I\u2019ll set my foot in a bottomless boat,\nAnd swim to the sea-ground.\u2019\n51A.12 \u2018And when will thou come hame again,\nO my son Geordy Wan?\u2019\n\u2018The sun and the moon shall dance on the green\nThat night when I come hame.\u2019\n51B: Lizie Wan\n51B.1 ROSIE she sat in her simmer bower,\nGreitin and making grit mane,\nWhen down by cam her father, saying,\nWhat ails thee Rosie Ann?\n51B.2 \u2018A deal, a deal, dear father,\u2019 she said,\n\u2018Great reason hae I to mane,\nFor there lyes a little babe in my side,\nBetween me and my brither John.\u2019\n51B.3 Rosie she sat in her simmer bower,\nWeeping and making great mane,\nAnd wha cam doun but her mither dear,\nSaying, What ails thee, Rosie Ann?\n51B.4 \u2018A deal, a deal, dear mither,\u2019 she said,\n\u2018Great reason hae I to mane,\nFor there lyes a little babe in my side,\nBetween me and my brither John.\u2019\n51B.5 Rosie she sat in her simmer bower,\nGreiting and making great mane,\nAnd wha came doun but her sister dear,\nSaying, What ails thee, Rosie Ann?\n51B.6 \u2018A deal, a deal, dear sister,\u2019 she said,\n\u2018Great reason hae I to mane,\nFor there lyes a little babe in my side,\nBetween me and my brither John.\u2019\n51B.7 Rosie she sat in her simmer bower,\nWeeping and making great mane,\nAnd wha cam doun but her fause, fause brither,\nSaying, What ails thee, Rosie Ann?\n51B.8 \u2018A deal, a deal, dear brither,\u2019 she said,\n\u2018Great reason hae I to cry,\nFor there lyes a little babe in my side,\nBetween yoursell and I.\u2019\n51B.9 \u2018Weel ye hae tauld father, and ye hae tauld mither,\nAnd ye hae tauld sister, a\u2019 three;\u2019\nSyne he pulled out his wee penknife,\nAnd he cut her fair bodie in three.\n51B.10 \u2018O what blude is that on the point o your knife,\nDear son, come tell to me?\u2019\n\u2018It is my horse\u2019s, that I did kill,\nDear mother and fair ladie.\u2019\n51B.11 \u2018The blude o your horse was neer sae red,\nDear son, come tell to me:\u2019\n\u2018It is my grandfather\u2019s, that I hae killed,\nDear mother and fair ladie.\u2019\n51B.12 \u2018The blude o your grandfather was neer sae fresh,\nDear son, come tell to me:\u2019\n\u2018It is my sister\u2019s, that I did kill,\nDear mother and fair ladie.\u2019\n51B.13 \u2018What will ye do when your father comes hame,\nDear son, come tell to me?\u2019\n\u2018I\u2019ll set my foot on yon shipboard,\nAnd I hope she\u2019ll sail wi me.\u2019\n51B.14 \u2018What will ye do wi your bonny bonny young wife,\nDear son, come tell to me?\u2019\n\u2018I\u2019ll set her foot on some other ship,\nAnd I hope she\u2019ll follow me.\u2019\n51B.15 \u2018And what will ye do wi your wee son,\nDear son, come tell to me?\u2019\n\u2018I\u2019ll leave him wi you, my dear mother,\nTo keep in remembrance of me.\u2019\n51B.16 \u2018What will ye do wi your houses and lands,\nDear son, come tell to me?\u2019\n\u2018I\u2019ll leave them wi you, my dear mother,\nTo keep my own babie.\u2019\n51B.17 \u2018And whan will you return again,\nDear son, come tell to me?\u2019\n\u2018When the sun and the mune meet on yon hill,\nAnd I hope that\u2019ll neer be.\u2019","title":"The Child Ballads: 51. Lizie Wan","type":"page"}