Willie's Lady 2 O Willie's ta'en ower the raging faem He's woo'd a wife & he's bocht her hame He's woo'd her for her lang yellow hair But his mother wrocht her muckle care And muckle dolour gar'd her dree For light o' bairn his lady canna be For light o' bairn she canna be And aye she lies in her bower wi' pain And Willie mourns his lady a' in vain And Willie mourns her a' in vain So Willie's tae his wicked mither gane The vilest witch o' womenkind And says, "My lady has a bonnie cup Wi' gowd & silver set aboot" "This goodly gift it shall be yer ain Gin ye let her be lighter o' her bairn Gin ye let her be lighter o' bairn" "O, light o' bairn she ne'er will be Nor in her bower will shine sae bricht for ye Nor in her bower will shine for thee" "but she will die & slowly turn tae clay You will wed wi' anither may" "O, anither may I'll never wed Anither may shall never share my bed I'd rather die" Young Willie said So Willie's tae his mither yet again That vilest witch o' womenkind And says "My lady has a milk white steed Like o' it's no' in the lands o' Leed" "At lika tett o' that horse's mane Hangs fifty bonnie siller bells & ten Fifty siller bells & ten" "This goodly gift it shall be yer ain Gin ye let her be lighter o' her bairn Gin ye let her be light o' bairn" "O, light o' bairn she ne'er will be Nor in her bower will shine sae bricht for ye Nor in her bower will shine for thee" "But she will die & slowly turn tae clay And you will wed wi' anither may" "O, anither may I'll never wed Anither may shall never share my bed I'd rather die" young Willie said So Willie's tae the wise old Billy Blind And aye he spoke oot in good time He says "Go down intae the market place There ye'll buy a loaf of wax" "And shape it bairn & bairnie-like And in ti's heid twa glassen e'en ye'll put And in it's heid twa e'en ye'll put" "And you will tae yer wicked mither gae Invite her tae yer son's christenin" "But ye must stand a way forbye And listen weel what yer wicked mither says Listen weel what she does says" So Willie's tae his wicked mither gane Invited her tae his son's christenin And he did stand a wee forbye And listened weel what his wicked mither said Listened weel what she did say "And wha has ta'en oot the kaims o' care That hung amang yon lady's hair" "And wha has killed the Master Kid That ran beneath that bonnie lady's bed That ran beneath that lady's bed" "And wha has ta'en doon the bush o' woodbine That hung atween that lady's bower & mine That hung atween her bower & mine" "And wha has loos'd her left foot shee So light o' bairn this lady then may be So light o' bairn this lady be" Then Willie's ta'en oot the nine & witchen knots That were amang his lady's locks And Willie's ta'en oot the kaims o' care That hung amang his lady's hair And Willie's killed the Master Kid That ran beneath his bonnie lady's bed That ran ran beneath his lady's bed And Willie's ta'en doon the bush o' woodbine That hung atween his lady's bower sae fine Hung atween her bower sae fine Then Willie's looosened his lady's leften shee That light o' bairn she then might be And when & a' these things were done His lady's brocht forth untae him a son His lady's brocht forth a bonnie son as sung by Ray Fisher BF oct99
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!