{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch098.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch098.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch098.htm","text":"98A.1 O WHA woud wish the win to blaw,\nOr the green leaves fa therewith?\nOr wha wad wish a leeler love\nThan Brown Adam the Smith?\n98A.2 His hammer\u2019s o the beaten gold,\nHis study\u2019s o the steel,\nHis fingers white are my delite,\nHe blows his bellows well.\n98A.3 But they ha banishd him Brown Adam\nFrae father and frae mither,\nAn they ha banishd him Brown Adam\nFrae sister and frae brither.\n98A.4 And they ha banishd Brown Adam\nFrae the flowr o a\u2019 his kin;\nAn he\u2019s biggit a bowr i the good green wood\nBetwen his lady an him.\n98A.5 O it fell once upon a day\nBrown Adam he thought lang,\nAn he woud to the green wood gang,\nTo hunt some venison.\n98A.6 He\u2019s ta\u2019en his bow his arm oer,\nHis bran intill his han,\nAnd he is to the good green wood,\nAs fast as he coud gang.\n98A.7 O he\u2019s shot up, an he\u2019s shot down,\nThe bird upo the briar,\nAnd he\u2019s sent it hame to his lady,\nBade her be of good cheer.\n98A.8 O he\u2019s shot up, an he\u2019s shot down,\nThe bird upo the thorn,\nAnd sent it hame to his lady,\nAnd hee\u2019d be hame the morn.\n98A.9 Whan he came till his lady\u2019s bowr-door\nHe stood a little foreby,\nAnd there he heard a fu fa\u2019se knight\nTemptin his gay lady.\n98A.10 O he\u2019s taen out a gay gold ring,\nHad cost him mony a poun:\n\u2018O grant me love for love, lady,\nAn this sal be your own.\u2019\n98A.11 \u2018I loo Brown Adam well,\u2019 she says,\n\u2018I wot sae does he me;\nAn I woud na gi Brown Adam\u2019s love\nFor nae fa\u2019se knight I see.\u2019\n98A.12 Out has he ta\u2019en a purse of gold,\nWas a\u2019 fu to the string:\n\u2018Grant me but love for love, lady,\nAn a\u2019 this sal be thine.\u2019\n98A.13 \u2018I loo Brown Adam well,\u2019 she says,\n\u2018An I ken sae does he me;\nAn I woudna be your light leman\nFor mair nor ye coud gie.\u2019\n98A.14 Then out has he drawn his lang, lang bran,\nAnd he\u2019s flashd it in her een:\n\u2018Now grant me love for love, lady,\nOr thro you this sal gang!\u2019\n98A.15 \u2018O,\u2019 sighing said that gay lady,\n\u2018Brown Adam tarrys lang!\u2019\nThen up it starts Brown Adam,\nSays, I\u2019m just at your han.\n98A.16 He\u2019s gard him leave his bow, his bow,\nHe\u2019s gard him leave his bran;\nHe\u2019s gard him leave a better pledge,\nFour fingers o his right han.\n98B: Brown Adam\n98B.1 . . . . .\n. . . . .\nFor wha ere had a lealer luve\nThan Broun Edom the smith?\n98B.2 His studie was o the beaten gowd,\nHis hammer o the pith;\nHis cords waur o the gude green silk,\nThat blew his bellows with.\n98B.3 It fell out ance upon a time\nBroun Edom he thoucht lang,\nThat he wald gae to see his luve,\nBy the le licht o the mune.\n98C: Brown Adam\n98C.1 O WHA woud wish the win to blaw,\nThe green leaves fa therewith?\nO wha would wish a leeler luve\nThan Brown Adam the Smith?\n98C.2 O he forsook the royal court,\nAnd knights and lords sae gude,\nAnd he is to the black smithy,\nTo learn to shoe a steed.\n98C.3 His hammer-shaft o gude red gowd,\nHis studdy o the steel,\nHis fingers whyte, and maids\u2019 delight,\nAnd blaws his bellows weel.\n98C.4 He being a favourite with the king\nCaused him get mony a fae,\nAnd sae their plots they did contrive\nTo work him grief and wae.\n98C.5 Of treason then he was accused\nBy his fause enemie,\nWhich caused the king to make a vow\nThat banishd he shoud be.\n98C.6 Then banishd hae they Brown Adam,\nFrae father and frae mither,\nAnd banished hae they him Brown Adam\nFrae sister and frae brither.\n98C.7 And they hae banishd him Brown Adam,\nThe flower o a\u2019 his kin;\nHe built a bower in gude green wood,\nFor his true love and him.\n98C.8 But it fell ance upon a day\nThe king\u2019s young son thought lang,\nAnd minded him on Brown Adam,\nOft rade on his right han.\n98C.9 Then he sent for him Brown Adam,\nTo shoe his milk-white steed,\nThat he might see him ance in court,\nMang knights o noble bleed.\n98C.10 When Brown Adam he read these lines,\nA light laugh then gae hee:\n\u2018What\u2019s this that\u2019s made their hearts to fa,\nThey lang sae sair for mee?\u2019\n98C.11 Then out it speaks his gay ladye:\nBrown Adam, bide wi mee;\nFor if ye gang to court, I fear\nYour face I\u2019ll never see.\n98C.12 \u2018Cheer up your heart, my ain true-love,\nLet naething cause your grief;\nThough I be absent for some days,\nYe seen will get relief.\u2019\n98C.13 Then he has kissd his gay ladye,\nAnd rade alang the lay,\nAnd hunted a\u2019 the wild birds there,\nAs he rade on the way.\n98C.14 He shot the bunting o the bush,\nThe linnet o the brier,\nAnd sent them on to gude green wood,\nHis ladye\u2019s heart to cheer.\n98C.15 He shot the bunting o the bush,\nThe linnet o the wand,\nAnd sent them on to his ladye,\nForbade her to think lang.\n98C.16 He shot the bunting o the bush,\nThe linnet o the thorn,\nAnd sent them on to his ladye,\nSaid he\u2019d be hame the morn.\n98C.17 A thought then came into his mind,\nAs he rade on the way,\nSome evil in his absence might\nBefa his ladye gay.\n98C.18 Now when he had the prince\u2019 steed shod,\nAnd bound again to ryde,\nHe turned his horse to Ringlewood;\nSome days he meant to byde.\n98C.19 But when he turned to Ringlewood;\nAe foot\u2019s horse woudna ryde;\nWhan he turned to his luver\u2019s bower,\nHe flew like ony glyde.\n98C.20 When he drew near to his luve\u2019s bower,\nThere he alighted down,\nFor the hearing o his great horse tramp\nEre he wan to the town.\n98C.21 Whan he came to his luver\u2019s bower,\nHe heard a dolefu din;\nHe wasna aware o a fu fause knight,\nHis true-love\u2019s bower within.\n98C.22 He bound his steed to his ain stall,\nAnd gae him corn and hay,\nAnd listened at a shott-window,\nTo hear what he would say.\n98C.23 The first and thing the knight drew out,\nIt was a coffer fine;\nIt was as fu o gude black silk,\nMake ladyes for to shine.\n98C.24 \u2018Ye are too lack o luve, ladye,\nAnd that\u2019s a hatefu thing;\nLuve me, and lat Brown Adam be,\nAnd a\u2019 this shall be thine.\u2019\n98C.25 \u2018O well I like Brown Adam,\u2019 she said,\n\u2018I wyte hee hates nae mee;\nI winna forsake him Brown Adam\nFor a\u2019 your gifts an thee.\u2019\n98C.26 The next and thing the knight drew out,\nIt was a coffer small;\nIt was as fou o shambo gluves,\nWoud had her hands frae caul.\n98C.27 \u2018Ye are too lack o luve, ladye,\nAn that\u2019s a hatefu thing;\nLuve me, an lat Brown Adam be,\nAn a\u2019 this shall be thine.\u2019\n98C.28 \u2018O well like I Brown Adam,\u2019 she said,\n\u2018I\u2019m sure he hates nae me;\nI winna forsake him Brown Adam\nFor a\u2019 your gifts an thee.\u2019\n98C.29 The next and thing the knight drew out\nIt was a coffer fine;\nIt was as fu of gude red gowd\nAs a guinnea coud get in.\n98C.30 \u2018You are too lack o luve, ladye,\nAnd that\u2019s a hatefu thing;\nLuve me, and lat Brown Adam be,\nAnd a\u2019 this shall be thine.\u2019\n98C.31 \u2018O well I like Brown Adam,\u2019 she said,\n\u2018I\u2019m sure hee hates nae mee;\nI winna forsake him Brown Adam\nFor a\u2019 the gowd ye\u2019ll gie.\u2019\n98C.32 Then his mild mood did quickly change,\nAnd grew mair fierce and cruel,\nAnd then drew out a trusty brand,\nWhich made her heart to pruel.\n98C.33 \u2018Since I by you am slighted sae,\nSince I frae you maun part,\nI swear a vow before I gae,\nThat this shall pierce your heart.\u2019\n98C.34 \u2018But still I like Brown Adam,\u2019 she said,\n\u2018I wat hee hates nae mee;\nAnd if he knew my troubles now\nAt my call woud hee be.\n98C.35 \u2018Although he were sax miles awa,\nHe\u2019d seen be at my han;\nBut wae is me, sae may I say,\nBrown Adam tarries lang!\u2019\n98C.36 He hit the door then wi his foot,\nMade a\u2019 the bands to flee:\n\u2018Cheer up your heart, my luve Janet,\nYour love\u2019s nae far frae thee.\u2019\n98C.37 Then he drew out a trusty brand,\nAnd chassd him thro the ha;\nThe knight jumpd to a shott-window,\nAnd woud hae been awa.\n98C.38 \u2018Stay still, stay still,\u2019 Brown Adam said,\n\u2018Make nae sic haste frae mee\u2019\nYou or I maun rue the race\nThat I came ower the lee.\u2019\n98C.39 Then frae the knight he\u2019s taen a wad,\nHis mantle and his brand;\nLikewise he\u2019s taen anither wad,\nHis sword and his sword-hand.\n98C.40 He threw him ower the shott-window,\nBade him lie there wi care,\nAnd never come back to gude green wood\nTo marr fair ladies mair.\n98C.41 \u2018O I am brown,\u2019 said Brown Adam,\n\u2018And I was never whyte;\nBut my love has robes o different hues,\nTo wear at her delyght.\n98C.42 \u2018Her kirchies be o cambricks fine,\nWi gowd pinnd to the chin;\nHer robes shall be o the scarlet hue\nShe shall gang daily in.\u2019","title":"The Child Ballads: 98. Brown Adam","type":"page"}