{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch249.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch249.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch249.htm","text":"249A.1 MY love she is a gentlewoman,\nHas her living by the seam;\nI kenna how she is provided\nThis night for me and my foot-groom.\n249A.2 He is gane to Annie\u2019s bower-door,\nAnd gently tirled at the pin:\n\u2018Ye sleep, ye wake, my love Annie,\nYe\u2019ll rise and lat your true-love in.\u2019\n249A.3 Wi her white fingers lang and sma\nShe gently lifted up the pin;\nWi her arms lang and bent\nShe kindly caught sweet Willie in.\n249A.4 \u2018O will ye go to cards or dice?\nOr will ye go to play?\nOr will ye go to a well made bed,\nAnd sleep a while till day?\u2019\n249A.5 \u2018I winna gang to cards nor dice,\nNor yet will I to play;\nBut I will gang to a well made bed,\nAnd sleep a while till day.\n249A.6 \u2018My love Annie, my dear Annie,\nI would be at your desire;\nBut wae mat fa the auld Matrons,\nAs she sits by the kitchen fire!\u2019\n249A.7 \u2018Keep up your heart, Willie,\u2019 she said,\n\u2018Keep up your heart, dinna fear;\nIt\u2019s seven years, and some guid mair,\nSin her foot did file the flear.\u2019\n249A.8 They hadna kissd nor love clapped,\nAs lovers when they meet,\nTill up it raise the auld Matrons,\nSae well\u2019s she spread her feet.\n249A.9 O wae mat fa the auld Matrons,\nSae clever\u2019s she took the gate!\nAnd she\u2019s gaen ower yon lang, lang hill,\nKnockd at the sheriff\u2019s yate.\n249A.10 \u2018Ye sleep, ye wake, my lord?\u2019 she said;\n\u2018Are ye not your bower within?\nThere\u2019s knight in bed wi your daughter,\nI fear she\u2019s gotten wrang.\u2019\n249A.11 \u2018Ye\u2019ll do ye down thro Kelso town,\nWaken my wall-wight men;\nAnd gin ye hae your wark well dune\nI\u2019ll be there at command.\u2019\n249A.12 She\u2019s done her down thro Kelso town,\nWakend his wall-wight men;\nBut gin she had her wark well done\nHe was there at command.\n249A.13 He had his horse wi corn fodderd,\nHis men armd in mail;\nHe gae the Matrons half a merk\nTo show them ower the hill.\n249A.14 Willie sleepd, but Annie waked\nTill she heard their bridles ring;\nThen tapped on her love\u2019s shoulder,\nAnd said, Ye\u2019ve sleepit lang.\n249A.15 \u2018O save me, save me, my blessd lady,\nTill I\u2019ve on my shooting-gear;\nI dinna fear the king himsell,\nTho he an\u2019s men were here.\u2019\n249A.16 Then they shot in, and Willie out,\nThe arrows graz\u2019d his brow;\nThe maid she wept and tore her hair,\nSays, This can never do.\n249A.17 Then they shot in, and he shot out,\nThe bow brunt Willie\u2019s hand;\nBut aye he kissd her ruby lips,\nSaid, My dear, thinkna lang.\n249A.18 He set his horn to his mouth,\nAnd has blawn loud and shrill,\nAnd he\u2019s calld on his brother John,\nIn Ringlewood he lay still.\n249A.19 The first an shot that Lord John shot,\nHe wound fifty and fifteen;\nThe next an shot that Lord John shot,\nHe ca\u2019d out the sheriff\u2019s een.\n249A.20 \u2018O some o you lend me an arm,\nSome o you lend me twa;\nAnd they that came for strife this day,\nTake horse, ride fast awa.\n249A.21 \u2018But wae mat fa yon, auld Matrons,\nAn ill death mat ye die!\nI\u2019ll burn you on yon high hill-head,\nBlaw your ashes in the sea.\u2019","title":"The Child Ballads: 249. Auld Matrons","type":"page"}