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WILLIE AND MAY MARGARET.

A FRAGMENT obtained by Jamieson from the recitation of Mrs. Brown, of Falkland. Popular Ballads, i. 135. In connection with this we give the complete story from Buchan.

"GIE corn to my horse, mither;
Gie meat unto my man;

For I maun gang to Margaret's bower,
Before the nicht comes on."

"O stay at hame now, my son Willie !
The wind blaws cald and sour;
The nicht will be baith mirk and late,
Before ye
reach her bower."

"O tho' the nicht were ever sae dark,
Or the wind blew never sae cald,
I will be in my Margaret's bower
Before twa hours be tald."

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"O gin ye gang to May Margaret,

Without the leave of me,

Clyde's water's wide and deep enough ;- 15 My malison drown thee!"

He mounted on his coal-black steed,

And fast he rade awa';

But, ere he came to Clyde's water,

Fu' loud the wind did blaw.

As he rode o'er yon hich, hich hill,
And down yon dowie den,
There was a roar in Clyde's water

Wad fear'd a hunder men.

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His heart was warm, his pride was up;

25

Sweet Willie kentna fear;

But yet his mither's malison

Ay sounded in his ear.

O he has swam through Clyde's water,
Tho' it was wide and deep;

And he came to May Margaret's door,
When a' were fast asleep.

O he's gane round and round about,
And tirled at the pin ;

But doors were steek'd, and window's bar'd,

And nane wad let him in.

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open the door to me, Margaret,—

O open and lat me in!

For my boots are full o' Clyde's water,
And frozen to the brim."

"I darena open the door to you,

Nor darena lat you in;

For my mither she is fast asleep,

And I darena mak nae din."

"O gin ye winna open the door,
Nor yet be kind to me,

Now tell me o' some out-chamber,
Where I this nicht may be."

"Ye canna win in this nicht, Willie,

Nor here ye canna be;

For I've nae chambers out nor in,
Nae ane but barely three :

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"The tane o' them is fu' o' corn,

The tither is fu' o' hay;

The tither is fu' o' merry young men ;—

55

They winna remove till day."

'O fare ye weel, then, May Margaret,

Sin better manna be;

I've win my mither's malison,

Coming this nicht to thee."

60

He's mounted on his coal-black steed,O but his heart was wae!

But, ere he came to Clyde's water,

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THE DROWNED LOVERS.

FROM Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, i. 140. The copy in the Appendix to Motherwell's Minstrelsy, p. iii., is nearly the same.

WILLIE stands in his stable door,

And clapping at his steed;
And looking o'er his white fingers,
His nose began to bleed.

"Gie corn to my horse, mother;

And meat to my young man ;
And I'll awa' to Meggie's bower,
I'll win ere she lie down."

"O bide this night wi' me, Willie,
O bide this night wi' me ;

The best an' cock o' a' the reest,

At your supper shall be.

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