The Canongate Burns (134 page)

There's sax eggs in the pan, gudeman,
six, goodman

There's sax eggs in the pan, gudeman;

There's ane to you, and twa to me,
one, two

And three to our John Highlandman.—

Chorus

5
O an ye were dead, gudeman,
if

A green turf on your head, gudeman,

I wad bestow my widowhood
would

Upon a rantin Highlandman.—
merry

A sheep-head's in the pot, gudeman,

10
A sheep-head's in the pot, gudeman;

The flesh to him the broo to me,
broth

An' the horns become your brow, gudeman. —

Chorus for the final verse

Sing round about the fire wi' a rung she ran,
cudgel

An round about the fire wi' a rung she ran:

15
Your horns shall tie you to the staw,
stall

An I shall bang your hide, gudeman.—

O I forbid you, maiden's a'
all

       That wear gowd on your hair,
gold

To come, or gae by Carterhaugh,
go

       For young Tom-lin is there.

5
There's nane that gaes by Carterhaugh
none, goes

       But they leave him in a wad;
pledge/bargain

Either their rings, or green mantles,

       Or else their maidenhead.

Janet has kilted her green kirtle,
petticoat

10
       A little aboon her knee;
above

And she has broded her yellow hair
braided

       A little aboon her bree;
above, brow

And she's awa to Carterhaugh,
away

       As fast as she can hie.
run

15
When she cam to Carterhaugh

       Tom-lin was at the well,

And there she fand his steed standing
found

       But away was himsel.

She had na pu'd a double rose,
not pulled

20
       A rose but only tway,
two

Till up then started young Tom-lin,

       Says, Lady, thou's pu' nae me.
pull not

Why pu's thou the rose, Janet,
pulls

       And why breaks thou the wand?

25
Or why thou comes to Carterhaugh

       Withoutten my command?
without

Carterhaugh is my ain,
own

       Ma daddie gave it me;
my

I'll come and gang by Carterhaugh
go

30
       And ask nae leave at thee.
no

Janet has kilted her green kirtle
petticoat

       A little aboon her knee,
above

And she has snooded her yellow hair,
put in a band

       A little aboon her bree,
above, brow

35
And she is to her father's ha,
hall

       As fast as she can hie.
run

Four and twenty ladies fair

       Were playing at the ba,
ball

And out them cam the fair Janet,

40
       Ance the flower amang them a'.
once, among, all

Four and twenty ladies fair

       Were playing at the chess,

And out then cam the fair Janet,

       As green as onie glass.
any

45
Out then spak an auld grey knight,
spoke, old

       Lay o'er the castle-wa,
-wall

And says, Alas, fair Janet for thee

       But we'll be blamed a'.

Haud your tongue ye auld-fac'd knight,
hold, old-

50
       Some ill death may ye die,

Father my bairn on whom I will,
child

       I'll father nane on thee.
none

Out then spak her father dear,
spoke

       And he spak meek and mild,

55
And ever alas, sweet Janet, he says,

       I think thou gaes wi' child.
goes

If that I gae wi' child, father,
go

       Myself maun bear the blame;
shall

There's ne'er a laird about your ha,
hall

60
       Shall get the bairn's name.
child's

If my Love were an earthly knight,

       As he's an elfin grey;

A wad na gie my ain true-love
would not give, own

       For nae lord that ye hae.
no, have

65
The steed that my true-love rides on,

       Is lighter than the wind;

Wi' siller he is shod before,
silver

       Wi' burning gowd behind.
gold

Janet has kilted her green kirtle
petticoat

70
       A little aboon the knee;
above

And has snooded her yellow hair
braided

       A little aboon her bree;
brow

And she's awa to Carterhaugh
away

       As fast as she can hie.
go

75
When she cam to Carterhaugh

       Tom-lin was at the well;

And there she fand his steed standing,
found

       But away was himsel.

She had na pu'd a double rose
had not pulled

80
       A rose but only tway,
two

Till up then started young Tom-lin,

       Say's Lady thou pu's nae mae.
pulls not more

Why pu's thou the rose Janet,

       Amang the groves sae green,
among, so

85
And a' to kill the bonie babe

       That we gat us between.
begot

O tell me, tell me, Tom-lin she says,

       For 's sake that died on tree,

If e'er ye was in holy chapel,

90
       Or Christendom did see.

Roxbrugh he was my grandfather,

       Took me with him to bide,

And ance it fell upon a day
once

       That wae did me betide.
woe
 

95
Ance it fell upon a day,
once

       A cauld day and a snell,
cold, bitter

When we were frae the hunting come
from

       That frae my horse I fell.
from

The queen o' Fairies she caught me,

100
        In yon green hill to dwell,

And pleasant is the fairy-land;

       But, an eerie tale to tell! strange 

Ay at the end of seven years

       We pay a tiend to hell;
tithe/fee

105
I am sae fair and fu' o flesh
so, full

       I'm fear'd it be mysel.
afraid
 

But the night is Halloween, lady,

       The morn is Hallowday;

Then win me, win me, an ye will,

110
       For weel I want ye may.
well
 

Just at the mirk and midnight hour
darkest

       The fairy folk will ride;

And they that wad their truelove win,
would

       At Milescross they maun bide.
must stay
 

115
But how shall I thee ken, Tom-lin,
know

       O how my truelove know,

Amang sae mony unco knights
so, strange

       The like I never saw. 

O first let pass the black, Lady,

120
       And syne let past the brown;
then

But quickly run to the milk-white steed,

       Pu' ye his rider down:
pull
 

For I'll ride on the milk-white steed,

       And ay nearest the town;

125
Because I was an earthly knight

       They gie me that renown.
give
 

My right hand will be glov'd, Lady,

       My left hand will be bare;

Cockt up shall my bonnet be,

130
       And kaim'd down shall my hair;
combed

And thae's the tokens I gie thee,
these are, give

       Nae doubt I will be there.
no

They'll turn me in your arms, Lady,

       Into an asp and adder,
viper

135
But hald me fast and fear me not,
hold

       I am your bairn's father.
child's

They'll turn me to a bear sae grim,
so

       And then a lion bold;

But hold me fast and fear me not,

140
       As ye shall love your child.

Again they'll turn me in your arms

       To a red het gaud of airn;
hot bar of iron

But hold me fast and fear me not,

       I'll do to you nae harm.
no

145
And last they'll turn me, in your arms,

       Into the burning lead;

Then throw me into well-water,

       O throw me in wi' speed!

And then I'll be your ain truelove,
own

150
        I'll turn a naked knight:

Then cover me wi' your green mantle,

       And cover me out o sight.

Gloomy, gloomy was the night,

       And eerie was the way,
strange

155
As fair Jenny in her green mantle

       To Milescross she did gae.
go
 

About the middle o' the night

       She heard the bridles ring;

This lady was as glad at that

160
       As any earthly thing. 

First she let the black pass by,

       And syne she let the brown;
then

But quickly she ran to the milk-white steed,

       And pu'd the rider down
pulled
 

165
Sae weel she minded what he did say
so well

       And young Tom-lin did win;

Syne cover'd him wi' her green mantle
then

       As blythe's a bird in spring.

Out then spak the queen o' Fairies,
spoke

170
       Out of a bush o' broom;

Them that has gotten young Tom-lin

       Has gotten a stately groom. 

Out then spak the queen o' Fairies,

       And an angry queen was she;

175
Shame betide her ill-fard face,
-farrowed

       And an ill death may she die,

For she's ta'en awa the boniest knight
taken away

       In a' my companie. 

But had I kend, Tom-lin, she says,
known

180
       What now this night I see,

I wad hae ta'en out thy twa grey een,
would have taken, two, eyes

       And put in twa een o' tree.
two eyes, wood