Clyde's Water (3) Willie stood at the stable door A-leaning ower his steed A-looking at his white fingers 'Til his nose began to bleed "O bring some corn to my horse And gie my young man meat And I'll awa to Maggie's bower I'll be there afore she sleeps" "O Willie, Willie dinna gang It's sair against my will You've the deepest part in the Clyde to cross And it's there that ye will droon" "The horse that I'm to ride upon Cost me twice thirty pounds And I'll put my trust in my ain horse heels And he'll carry me safe and sound" So he rade o'er hills and rade doon dales And doon yon dowie den But the rush that rose in Clyde's Water Would have feared a hundred men "O Clydie, Clydie, rollin' Clyde Your waters are wondrous strong Mak' me a wreck as I come back But spare me as I gang" "O Maggie, Maggie, Maggie dear O rise and let me in My boots are full of Clyde's water And I'm shivering to the skin" My stables are full of horses My sheds are full of hay My beds are full of gentlemen That wouldna leave till day" Maggie wakened in the morning And to her mother she ran Says, "I dreamed that Willie was here last nicht And I wouldna let him in" So he rade o'er hills and rade doon dales And doon yon dowie den But the rush that rose in Clyde's water Took Willie's cane frae him Leanin' o'er his saddle bows To catch his cane through force The rush that rose in Clyde's water Took Willie frae his horse Willie's brother stands on the bank Now how can Willie droon? "O turn ye tae your high horse heid And he'll learn ye how to swim" Child #216 Collected from John Strachan in Elgin, Moray, Scotland by John Lomax in 1951 Recorded on Rounder Alan Lomax Collection: Classic Ballads of Britain and Irelan d, vol 2 In other versions of this ballad, subtitled The Mother's Malison, it is more obv ious that the two mothers would rather see their children dead than together. H ere his mother is merely urging him to stay home safe (he curses himself in vers e 6) and it is not clear whether her mother is the speaker of that rather intere sting verse 8. [SOF] SOF
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