{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch269.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch269.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch269.htm","text":"269A.1 THERE was a king, and a very great king,\nAnd a king of meikle fame;\nHe had not a child in the world but ane,\nLady Daisy was her name.\n269A.2 He had a very bonnie kitchen-boy,\nAnd William was his name;\nHe never lay out o Lady Daisy\u2019s bower,\nTill he brought her body to shame.\n269A.3 When een-birds sung, and een-bells rung,\nAnd a\u2019 men were boune to rest,\nThe king went on to Lady Daisy\u2019s bower,\nJust like a wandering ghaist.\n269A.4 He has drawn the curtains round and round,\nAnd there he has sat him down;\n\u2018To whom is this, Lady Daisy,\u2019 he says,\n\u2018That now you gae so round?\n269A.5 \u2018Is it to a laird? or is it to a lord?\nOr a baron of high degree?\nOr is it William, my bonnie kitchen-boy?\nTell now the truth to me.\u2019\n269A.6 \u2018It\u2019s no to a laird, and it\u2019s no to a lord,\nNor a baron of high degree;\nBut it\u2019s to William, your bonnie kitchen-boy:\nWhat cause hae I to lee?\u2019\n269A.7 \u2018O where is all my merry, merry men,\nThat I pay meat and fee,\nThat they will not take out this kitchen-boy,\nAnd kill him presentlie?\u2019\n269A.8 They hae taen out this bonnie kitchen-boy,\nAnd killd him on the plain;\nHis hair was like the threads o gold,\nHis een like crystal stane;\nHis hair was like the threads o gold,\nHis teeth like ivory bane.\n269A.9 They hae taen out this bonnie boy\u2019s heart,\nPut it in a cup o gold;\n\u2018Take that to Lady Daisy,\u2019 he said,\n\u2018For she\u2019s impudent and bold;\nAnd she washd it with the tears that ran from her eye\nInto the cup of gold.\n269A.10 \u2018Now fare ye weel, my father the king!\nYou hae taen my earthly joy;\nSince he\u2019s died for me, I\u2019ll die for him,\nMy bonnie kitchen-boy.\u2019\n269A.11 \u2018O where is all my merry, merry men,\nThat I pay meat and wage,\nThat they could not withold my cruel hand,\nWhen I was mad with rage?\n269A.12 \u2018I think nae wonder, Lady Daisy,\u2019 he said,\n\u2018That he brought your body to shame;\nFor there never was man of woman born\nSae fair as him that is slain.\u2019\n269B: Lady Diamond\n269B.1 THER was a king, an a worthy king,\n[an a king] of birth an fame;\nHe had an only dear daughter,\nAn Dayesie was her name.\n269B.2 Ther was a boy about the house,\nBod Roben was his name;\nHe would not stay out of Dayese\u2019s bour,\nTill he brought her body [to] shame.\n269B.3 When bells was rung, . . . .\nAn a\u2019 man bon to rest,\nThe king went up to Lady Dayese\u2019s bour,\nHe was an unwelcom gast.\n269B.4 \u2018O Lady Dayes, dear, d[ea]r Dayisie,\nWhat gars ye gae sae round?\nWe yer tua sides high an yer bellie bige,\nFra yer face the couller is gane.\u2019\n269B.5 \u2018O have ye loved? or have he lang-sought?\nOr die ye goo we barn?\u2019\n\u2018It\u2019s all for you, fair father,\nThat ye stayed so long in Spain.\u2019\n269B.6 \u2018It\u2019s aff ye take yer berry-broun goon,\nAn ye lay it on a ston,\nAn I will tell you in a very short time\nIf ye loued any man or no[n].\u2019\n269B.7 It\u2019s aff she has tane her berry-broun goon,\nAn laid it on a ston;\nWe her tua sides high, her belley turned bigg,\nFra her face the couller was gane.\n269B.8 \u2018O is it to lord? or is to lard?\nOr till a man of mean?\nOr is it to Bold Roben, the kittchen-boy?\nNou, Dayisie, dinne lea[n].\u2019\n269B.9 \u2018It\u2019s no to leard, nor [to] lord,\nNor to a man of mean,\nBut it\u2019s to Bold Robien, our kittchen-boy;\nFatt neads me for to lea[n]?\u2019\n269B.10 . . . . . . .\n. . . . . . .\nIt\u2019s the morn befor I eat or drink\nHis heart-blude I sall see.\u2019\n269B.11 He\u2019s tean Bold Robien by the hand\nLead him across the green;\nHis hear was leak the very threeds of goud,\nHis face shone leak the moon.\n269B.12 He\u2019s tane out this bonny boy\u2019s hear[t]\nInto a cupe of gold,\nHad it to Lady Dayese\u2019s bour,\nSays, No[u], Dayes, behold!\n269B.13 \u2018O welcom to me my heart\u2019s delight!\nNou welcom to me my joy!\nYe have dayed for me, an I\u2019ll day for ye,\nTho ye be but the kittchen-boy.\u2019\n269B.14 She has taen out the coup of gold,\nLead it belou her head,\nAn she wish it we the tears ran doun fra her eays,\nAn or midnight she was dead.\n269B.15 She has tean out the coup of gold,\nLaid it belou her hear,\nAn she wish it we the tears ran don fra her eays,\nAn alass! spak never mare.\n269C: Lady Diamond\n269C.1 THERE was a king, and a glorious king,\nAnd a king of mickle fame,\nAnd he had daughters only one,\nLady Dysmal was her name.\n269C.2 He had a boy, and a kitchen-boy,\nA boy of mickle scorn,\nAnd she lovd him lang, and she loved him aye,\nTill the grass oergrew the corn.\n269C.3 When twenty weeks were gone and past,\nO she began to greet!\nHer petticoat grew short before,\nAnd her stays they wadna meet.\n269C.4 It fell upon a winter\u2019s night\nThe king could get nae rest;\nHe cam unto his daughter dear,\nJust like a wandring ghaist.\n269C.5 He cam into her bed-chalmer,\nAnd drew the curtains round:\n\u2018What aileth thee, my daughter dear?\nI fear you\u2019ve gotten wrong.\u2019\n269C.6 \u2018O if I have, despise me not,\nFor he is all my joy;\nI will forsake baith dukes and earls,\nAnd marry your kitchen-boy.\u2019\n269C.7 \u2018Go call to me my merry men all,\nBy thirty and by three;\nGo call to me my kitchen-boy,\nWe\u2019ll murder him secretlie.\u2019\n269C.8 There was nae din that could be heard,\nAnd neer a word was said,\nTill they got him baith fast and sure\nBetween twa feather-beds.\n269C.9 \u2018Go cut the heart out of his breast,\nAnd put it in a cup of gold,\nAnd present it to his Dysmal dear,\nFor she is baith stout and bold.\u2019\n269C.10 They\u2019ve cut the heart out of his breast,\nAnd put it in a cup of gold,\nAnd presented it to his Dysmal dear,\nWho was baith stout and bold.\n269C.11 \u2018O come to me, my hinney, my heart,\nO come to me, my joy!\nO come to me, my hinney, my heart\nMy father\u2019s kitchen-boy!\u2019\n269C.12 She\u2019s taen the cup out of their hands,\nAnd set it at her bed-head;\nShe washd it wi the tears that fell from her eyes,\nAnd next morning she was dead.\n269C.13 \u2018O where were ye, my merry men all,\nWhom I paid meat and wage,\nYe didna hold my cruel hand\nWhen I was in my rage?\n269C.14 \u2018For gone is a\u2019 my heart\u2019s delight,\nAnd gone is a\u2019 my joy;\nFor my dear Dysmal she is dead,\nAnd so is my kitchen-boy.\u2019\n269D: Lady Diamond\n269D.1 THERE was a king, and a curious king,\nAnd a king of royal fame,\nHe had ae daughter, he had never mair,\nLady Diamond was her name.\n269D.2 She\u2019s fa\u2019en into shame, and lost her good name,\nAnd wrought her parents \u2019noy;\nAnd a\u2019 for her layen her love so low,\nOn her father\u2019s kitchn-boy.\n269D.3 One night as she lay on her bed,\nJust thinking to get rest,\nUp it came her old father,\nJust like a wandering ghaist.\n269D.4 \u2018Rise up, rise up, Lady Diamond,\u2019 he says,\n\u2018Rise up, put on your gown;\nRise up, rise up, Lady Diamond,\u2019 he says,\n\u2018For I fear ye go too roun.\u2019\n269D.5 \u2018Too roun I go, ye blame me no,\nYe cause me not to shame;\nFor better love I that bonny boy\nThan all your well-bred men.\u2019\n269D.6 The king\u2019s calld up his wall-wight men,\nThat he paid meat and fee:\n\u2018Bring here to me that bonny boy,\nAnd we\u2019ll smore him right quietlie.\u2019\n269D.7 Up hae they taken that bonny boy,\nPut him between twa feather-beds;\nNaething was dane, naething was said,\nTill that bonny boy was dead.\n269D.8 The king\u2019s taen out a broad, broad sword,\nAnd streakd it on a strow,\nAnd thro and thro that bony boy\u2019s heart\nHe\u2019s gart cauld iron go.\n269D.9 Out he has taen his poor bloody heart,\nSet it on a tasse of gold,\nAnd set it before Lady Diamond\u2019s face,\nSaid, Fair lady, behold!\n269D.10 Up she has taen this poor bloody heart,\nAnd holden it in her hand:\n\u2018Better loved I that bonny, bonny boy\nThan all my father\u2019s land.\u2019\n269D.11 Up she has taen his poor bloody heart\nAnd laid it at her head;\nThe tears away frae her eyes did fly,\nAnd ere midnight she was dead.\n269E: Lady Diamond\n269E.1 IT was a king, and a verra greit king,\nAn a king o muckle fame,\nAn he had a luvelie dauchter fair,\nAn Dysie was her name.\n269E.2 She fell in love wi the kitchie-boy,\nAn a verra bonnie boy was he,\nAn word has gane till her father dear,\nAn an angry man was he.\n269E.3 \u2018Is it the laird? or is it the lord?\nOr a man o high degree?\nOr is it to Robin, the kitchie-boy?\nO Dysie mak nae lee.\u2019\n269E.4 \u2018It\u2019s nae the laird, nor is it the lord,\nNor a man o high degree,\nBut it\u2019s to Robin, the kitchie-boy;\nWhat occasion hae I to lee?\u2019\n269E.5 \u2018If it be to Robin, the kitchie-boy,\nAs I trust weel it be,\nThe morn, afore ye eat meal or drink,\nYe\u2019ll see him hanged hie.\u2019\n269E.6 They have taen Robin out,\nHis hair was like threads o gold;\nThat verra day afore it was night,\nDeath made young Dysie cold.","title":"The Child Ballads: 269. Lady Diamond","type":"page"}