Quotes from Anonymous: Ballads

Half owre, half owre to Aberdour,'Tis fifty fathoms deep;And there lies gude Sir Patrick Spens,Wi' the Scots lords at his feet!

Down there came a fallow doeAs great with young as she might go.

The king sits in Dunfermline townDrinking the blude-red wine.

When captains courageous, whom death could not daunt,Did march to the siege of the city of Gaunt,They mustered their soldiers by two and by three,And the foremost in battle was Mary Ambree.

I saw the new moon late yestreenWi' the auld moon in her arm;And if we gang to sea, master,I fear we'll come to harm.

Mony a one for him maks mane,But nane sall ken where he is gane:O'er his white banes, when they are bare,The wind sall blaw for evermair.

Fight on, my merry men all;For why, my life is at an end.

"What gat ye to your dinner, Lord Randal, my son?What gat ye to your dinner, my handsome young man?""I gat eels boil'd in broo'; mother, make my bed soon,For I'm weary wi' hunting, and fain wald lie down."

To Noroway, to Noroway,To Noroway o'er the faem;The king's daughter o' Noroway,'Tis thou must bring her hame.

"The curse of hell frae me sall ye bear,Sic counsels ye give to me, O!"

There were three ravens sat on a tree,They were as black as they might be.The one of them said to his mate,"Where shall we our breakfast take?"

"A bed, a bed," Clerk Saunders said,"A bed for you and me!""Fye na, fye na," said may Margaret,"Till anes we married be!"

So slowly, slowly rase she up,And slowly she came nigh him,And when she drew the curtain by—"Young man, I think you're dyin'."

"I'll rest," said he, "but thou shalt walk";So doth this wandering JewFrom place to place, but cannot restFor seeing countries new.

She buried him before the prime,She was dead herself ere evensong time.God send every gentlemanSuch hounds, such hawks, and such leman.

There were twa sisters sat in a bour;Binnorie, O Binnorie!There came a knight to be their wooer,By the bonnie milldams o' Binnorie.

True Thomas lay on Huntlie Bank;A ferlie he spied wi' his e'e;And there he saw a lady brightCome riding down by the Eildon Tree.

In Scarlet town, where I was born,There was a fair maid dwellin',Made every youth cry Well-a-day!Her name was Barbara Allen.All in the merry month of May,When green buds they were swellin',Young Jemmy Grove on his deathbed lay,For love of Barbara Allen.

Ye Highlands and ye Lawlands,O where hae ye been?They hae slain the Earl of Murray,And laid him on the green.

O waly, waly, up the bank,And waly, waly, doun the brae,And waly, waly, yon burnside,Where I and my Love wont to gae!

"And what will ye leave to your ain mither dear,Edward, Edward?"