| |
I
MY plaid awa’, my plaid awa’, | |
| And o’er the hill and far awa’; | |
| And far awa’ to Norrowa’, | |
| My plaid shall not be blown awa’! | |
| |
II
Lady Isabel sits in her bower sewing, | 5 |
| Aye as the gowans grow gay— | |
| She heard an elf-knight his horn blawing, | |
| The first morning in May. | |
| |
III
The elfin-knight sits on yon hill, | |
| He blaws his horn baith loud and shrill. | 10 |
| |
IV
He blaws it east, he blaws it west, | |
| He blaws it where he lyketh best. | |
| |
V
‘I wish that horn were in my kist, | |
| Yea, and the knight in my arms niest.’ | |
| |
VI
She had no sooner these words said, | 15 |
| When that knight came to her bed. | |
| |
VII
‘Thou art owre young a maid,’ quoth he, | |
| ‘Married with me thou ill wouldst be.’— | |
| |
VIII
‘I have a sister younger than I, | |
| And she was married yesterday.’— | 20 |
| |
IX
‘Married with me if thou wouldst be, | |
| A courtesie thou must do to me. | |
| |
X
‘For thou must shape a sark to me | |
| Without any cut or hem,’ quoth he. | |
| |
XI
‘It’s ye maun shape it knife-and-shurlesse, | 25 |
| And also sew it needle-threedlesse. | |
| |
XII
‘And ye maun wash it in yonder well, | |
| Where the dew never wat nor the rain never fell. | |
| |
XIII
‘And ye maun dry it upon a thorn | |
| That never budded sin Adam was born.’— | 30 |
| |
XIV
‘Now sin ye have asked some things o’ me, | |
| It’s right I ask as mony o’ thee. | |
| |
XV
‘My father he ask’d me an acre o’ land | |
| Between the saut sea and the strand. | |
| |
XVI
‘And ye maun are it wi’ your blawin’ horn, | 35 |
| And ye maun sow it wi’ pepper corn. | |
| |
XVII
‘And ye maun harrow it with ae tyne, | |
| And ye maun shear it with ae horse bane. | |
| |
XVIII
‘And ye maun stack it in yon mouse-hole, | |
| And ye maun thresh it in yon shoe-sole. | 40 |
| |
XIX
‘And ye maun winnow it in your loof, | |
| And ye maun sack it in your glove. | |
| |
XX
‘And ye maun bring it owre the sea, | |
| Fair and clean and dry to me. | |
| |
XXI
‘And when ye’ve done an’ finish’d your wark, | 45 |
| Come to me, love, an’ get your sark.’ | |
| |
XXII
‘It’s I’ll not quit my plaid for my life; | |
| It haps my seven bairns and my wife.’ | |
| The wind sall not blaw my plaid awa’: | |
| ‘And it’s I will keep me a maiden still, | 50 |
| Let the elfin knight do what he will’— | |
| The wind has not blawn my plaid awa’! | |
| | | GLOSS: gowans] daisies. kist] chest. niest] next. sark] shirt. wat] wetted. are] plough. ae tyne] one harrow-point. loof] palm. |
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