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I O WILLIEs large o limb and lith, | |
And come o high degree, | |
And he is gane to Earl Richard, | |
To serve for meat and fee. | |
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II Earl Richard had but ae daughter, | 5 |
Fair as a lily-flower, | |
And they made up their love-contract | |
Like proper paramour. | |
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III It fell upon a simmers nicht, | |
Whan the leaves were fair and green, | 10 |
That Willie met his gay ladie | |
Intil the wood alane. | |
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IV O narrow is my gown, Willie, | |
That wont to be sae wide; | |
And gane is a my fair colour, | 15 |
That wont to be my pride. | |
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V But gin my father should get word | |
Whats past between us twa, | |
Before that he should eat or drink, | |
Hed hang you oer that wa. | 20 |
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VI But yell come to my bower, Willie, | |
Just as the sun gaes down, | |
And kep me in your arms twa, | |
And latna me fa down. | |
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VII O whan the sun was now gane down, | 25 |
Hes doen him till her bower, | |
And there, by the lee licht o the moon, | |
Her window she lookit oer. | |
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VIII Intill a robe o red scarlèt | |
She lap, fearless o harm; | 30 |
And Willie was large o lith and limb, | |
And keppit her in his arm. | |
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IX And theyve gane to the gude green-wood, | |
And, ere the night was deen, | |
Shes born to him a bonny young son, | 35 |
Amang the leaves sae green. | |
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X Whan night was gane, and day was come, | |
And the sun began to peep, | |
Up and raise the Earl Richard | |
Out o his drowsy sleep. | 40 |
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XI Hes cad upon his merry young men, | |
By ane, by twa, and by three: | |
O whats come o my daughter dear, | |
That shes nae come to me? | |
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XII I dreamt a dreary dream last night, | 45 |
God grant it come to gude! | |
I dreamt I saw my daughter dear | |
Drown in the saut sea flood. | |
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XIII But gin my daughter be dead or sick, | |
Or yet be stown awa, | 50 |
I mak a vow, and Ill keep it true, | |
Ill hang ye ane and a! | |
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XIV They sought her back, they sought her fore, | |
They sought her up and down; | |
They got her in the gude green-wood, | 55 |
Nursing her bonny young son. | |
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XV He took the bonny boy in his arms, | |
And kist him tenderlie; | |
Says, Though I would your father hang, | |
Your mothers dear to me. | 60 |
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XVI He kist him oer and oer again: | |
My grandson I thee claim, | |
And Robin Hood in gude green-wood, | |
And that shall be your name. | |
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XVII And mony ane sings o grass, o grass, | 65 |
And mony ane sings o corn, | |
And mony ane sings o Robin Hood | |
Kens little whare he was born. | |
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XVIII It wasna in the ha, the ha, | |
Nor in the painted bower; | 70 |
But it was in the gude green-wood, | |
Amang the lily-flower. | |
| GLOSS: yelpe] brag. lith] joint. kep] catch. |
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