{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch104.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch104.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch104.htm","text":"104A.1 LADY MARGERY MAY sits in her bower,\nSewing at her seem;\nBy there comes a heathen knight,\nFrom her her maidenhead has tane.\n104A.2 He has put her in a tower strong,\nWith double locks on fifty doors:\n\u2018Lady Margery May, will you ga now?\u2019\n\u2018O ye heathen knight, not yet for you.\n104A.3 \u2018I am asking, you heathen knight;\nWhat I am asking will you grant to me?\nWill ye let one of your waitmen\nA drink of your well bring to me?\u2019\n104A.4 \u2018Meat nor drink you shall never get,\nNor out of that shall you never come,\nMeat nor drink shall you never get,\nUntil you bear to me daughter or son.\u2019\n104A.5 Thus time drew on, and further on,\nFor travail came this young lady to;\nShe travailed up, so did she down,\nBut lighter could she never be.\n104A.6 \u2018An asking, an asking, you heathen knight;\nAn asking will you grant to me?\nWill you give me a scread of silk,\nFor to row your young son wi?\u2019\n104A.7 He took the horse-sheet in his hand,\nThe tears came twinkling down:\n\u2018Lady Margaret May, will ye ga now?\u2019\n\u2018O ye heathen knight, not yet for you.\u2019\n104A.8 \u2018I\u2019ll wash my young son with the milk,\nI will dry my young son with the silk;\nFor hearts will break, and bands will bow;\nSo dear will I love my lady now!\u2019\n104B: Prince Heathen\n104B.1 LADY MARGARET sat in her bower-door,\nSewing at her silken seem,\nWhen by it came Prince Heathen then,\nAn gae to her a gay gold ring.\n104B.2 He turnd about, an gied a bow;\nShe said, Begone, I love na you;\nWhen he sware by his yellow hair\nThat he woud gar her greet fu sair.\n104B.3 But she sware by her milk-white skin\nPrince Heathen shoud gar her greet nane:\nBut she sware by her milk-white skin\nPrince Heathen shoud gar her greet nane:\nRefrain: \u2018O bonny may, winna ye greet now?\u2019\n\u2018Ye heathenish dog, nae yet for you.\n104B.4 He\u2019s taen her in his arms twa,\nLaid her between him an the wa,\nAn ere he let her free again,\nHer maidenhead frae her he\u2019s taen.\nRefrain: \u2018O bonny may, winna ye greet now?\u2019\n\u2018Ye heathenish dog, nae yet for you.\u2019\n104B.5 \u2018I killd your father in his bed,\nAnd your gay mother by his side,\nAnd your seven brothers, ane by ane,\nAnd they were seven pretty men.\nRefrain: O bonny may, winna ye greet now?\u2019\n\u2018Ye heathenish dog, nae yet for you.\u2019\n104B.6 \u2018I\u2019ll put you in a vault o stone,\nWhere five an thirty locks hing on;\nNaebody there then shall you see,\nFor I will keep the keys wi me.\nRefrain: O bonny may, winna ye greet now?\u2019\n\u2018Ye heathenish dog, nae yet for you.\u2019\n104B.7 \u2018He\u2019s put her in a vault o stone,\nWhere five an thirty locks hing on;\nNaebody there coud eer her see,\nPrince Heathen kept the keys him wi.\nRefrain: But ae she cried, What shall I do!\nThe heathenish dog has gart me rue.\n104B.8 Prince heathen from the mountains came,\nAttended by his armed men,\nAnd he\u2019s gane to the bonny may,\nAnd to the prison where she lay:\nRefrain: \u2018O bonny may, what do you now?\u2019\n\u2018Ye heathenish dog, dying for you.\u2019\n104B.9 \u2018I\u2019ll take you out upon the green,\nWhere women ye shall neer see ane,\nBut only me and my young men,\nTill ye bring daughter hame or son.\nRefrain: O bonny may, what do you now?\u2019\n\u2018Ye heathenish dog, dying for you.\u2019\n104B.10 He\u2019s taen her out upon the green,\nWhere she saw women never ane,\nBut only him and \u2019s merry young men,\nTill she brought hame a bonny young son.\nRefrain: \u2018O bonny may, what do you now?\u2019\n\u2018Ye heathenish dog, dying for you.\n104B.11 \u2018A drink, a drink, frae Prince Heathen\u2019s hand,\nThough it were frae yon cauld well strong!\u2019\n\u2018O neer a drap, Prince Heathen,\u2019 said one,\n\u2018Till ye row up your bonny young son.\u2019\n\u2018How can I row up my bonny young son.\u2019\nWhen I hae naething to row him in?\u2019\n104B.12 \u2018I will lend you my horse\u2019s sheet,\nThat will row him baith head and feet.\u2019\nAs soon\u2019s she took it in her han,\nTears oer her cheeks down rapping ran.\nRefrain: \u2018O bonny may, ye do greet now:\u2019\n\u2018Ye heathenish dog, but nae for you.\n104B.13 \u2018But a\u2019 is for my bonny young son;\nYour sheets are rough to row him in;\nOhon, alas, sair may I rue\nThat eer I saw such rogues as you!\u2019\n104B.14 \u2018Ye\u2019ll row my young son in the silk,\nAn ye will wash him wi the milk,\nAn lay my lady very saft,\nThat I may see her very aft.\u2019\nWhen hearts are broken, bands will bow;\nSae well\u2019s he loved his lady now!","title":"The Child Ballads: 104. Prince Heathen","type":"page"}