Tam-a-line
- Take warning, a' ye ladies fair,
That wear gowd on your hair,
Come never unto Charter's woods,
For Tam-a-line he 's there. - Even about that knight's middle
O' siller bells are nine;
Nae ane comes to Charter wood,
And a maid returns again. - Lady Margaret sits in her bower door,
Sewing at her silken seam;
and she lang to gang to Charter woods,
To pou the roses green. - She hadna poud a rose, a rose,
Nor broken a branch but ane,
Till by it Came him true Tam-a-line,
Says, Ladye, lat alane. - O why pou ye the rose, the rose?
Or why brake ye the tree?
Or why come ye to Charter woods,
Without leave askd of me? - 'I will pou the rose, the rose,
And I will brake the tree;
Charterwoods are a' my ain,
I'll ask nae leave o thee.' - He's taen her by the milk-white hand,
And by the grass-green sleeve,
And laid her low on gude green wood,
At her he spierd nae leave. - When he had got his wills of her,
His wills as he had taen,
He's taen her by the middle sma,
Set her to feet again. - She turnd her right and round about,
To spier her true-love's name,
But naething heard she, nor naething saw,
As a' the woods grew dim. - O Seven days she tarried there,
Saw neither sun nor meen;
At length, by a sma glimmering light,
Came thro the wood her lane. - When she came to her father's court,
As fine as ony queen;
But when eight months were past and gane,
Got on the gown o' green. - Then out it speaks an eldren knight,
As he stood at the yett:
'Our king's daughter, she gaes wi bairn,
And we'll get a' the wyte.' - 'O had your tongue, ye eldren man,
And bring me not to shame;
Although that I do gang wi bairn,
Yese naeways get the blame. - 'Were my love but an earthly man,
As he's an elfin knight,
I woudna gie my ain true love
For a' that's in my sight.' - Then out it speaks her brither dear,
He meant to do her harm :
'There is an herb in Charter wood
Will twine you an the bairn.' - She's taen her mantle her about,
Her coffer by the band,
And she is on to Charter wood,
As fast as she coud gang. - She hadna poud a rose, a rose,
Nor braken a branch but ane,
Till by it came him Tam-a-Line,
Says, Ladye, lat alane. - O why pou ye the pile, Margaret,
The pile o the gravil green,
For to destroy the bonny bairn
That we got us between? - O why pou ye the pile, Margaret,
The pile o the gravil gray,
For to destroy the bonny bairn
That we got in our play? - For if it be a knave-bairn,
He's heir o a' my land;
But if it be a lass-bairn,
In red gowd she shall gang. - 'If my luve were an earthly
As he's an elfin rae,
I coud gang bound, love, for your sake,
A twalmonth and a day. - 'Indeed your love's an earthly
The same as well as thee,
And lang I've haunted Charter wood
A' for your fair bodie.' - 'O tell me, tell me, Tam-a-Line,
O tell, an tell me true,
Tell me this night, an mak uae lie,
What pedigree are you?' - 'O I hae been at gade church-door,
An I've got Christendom;
I'm the Earl o' Forbes' eldest son,
An heir ower a' his land. - 'When I was young, o three years old,
Muckle was made o me;
My stepmother put on my claithes,
An ill, ill sained she me. - 'Ae fatal morning I went out,
Dreading nae injury,
And thinking lang, fell soun asleep,
Beneath an apple tree. - Then by it came the Elfin Queen,
And laid her hand on me;
And from that time since ever I mind.
I've been in her companie - O Elfin it's a bonny place,
In it fain woud I dwell;
But ay at ilka seven years' end
They pay a tiend to hell,
And I'm sae fou o flesh an blude,
I'm sair feard for mysell.' - 'O tell me, tell me, Tam-aLine,
O tell, an tell me true
Tell me this night, an mak nae lie,
What way I'll borrow you ?' - The morn is Halloweven night,
the elfin court will ride,
Through England, and thro a' Scotland,
And through the world wide. - O they begin at sky setting,
Rides a' the evening tide;
And she that will her true-love borrow,
[At] Miles-corse will him bide. - Ye'll do you down to Mile Course,
Between twall hours and ane,
And full your hands o holy water,
And cast your compass roun. - Then the first an court that comes you till
Is published king and queen;
The next an court that comes you till,
It is maidens mony ane. - The next an court that comes you till
Is footmen, grooms and squires;
The next an court that comes you till
Is knights, and I'll be there. - "I Tom-a-Line, on milk-white steed,
A goud star on my crown;
Because I was an earthly knight,
Got that for a renown. - And out at my steed's right nostril,
He'll breathe a fiery flame ;
Ye'll loot you low, and sain yoursel,
And ye 'lI be busy then. - Ye'll take my horse then by the head,
And lat the bridal fa;
The Queen o' Elfin she'll cry out,
True Tam-a-Line's awa. - 'Then I'll appear in your arms
Like the wolf that neer wood tame;
Ye'll had me fast, lat me not go,
Case we neer meet again. - Then I'll appear in your arms
Like the fire that burns sae bauld
Ye'll had fast, lat me not go,
I'll be as iron cauld. - Then I'll appear in your arms
Like the adder an the snake;
Ye'll had me fast, lat me not go,
I am your warld's make. - Then I'll appear in your arms
Like to the deer see wild;
Ye'll had me fast, lat me not go,
And I'll father your child. - 'And I'll appear in your arms
Like to a silken string;
Ye'll had me fast, lat me not go,
Till ye see the fair morning. - 'And I'll appear in your arms
Like to a naked man;
Ye'll had me fast, lat me not go,
And wi you I'll gae hame.' - Then she has done her to Miles-corse,
Between twall hours an ane,
And filled her hands o holy water,
And kiest her compass roun. - The first an court that came her fill
Was published king and queen;
The niest an court that came her till
Was maidens mony ane. - The niest an court that came her till
Was footmen, grooms and squires;
The niest an court that came her till
Was knights, and he was there. - True Tam-a-Line, on milk-white steed,
A gowd star on his crown;
Because he was an earthly man,
Got that for a renown. - And out at the steed's right nostril,
He breathd a fiery flame
She loots her low, an sains hersell,
And she was busy then. - She's taen the horse then by the head,
And loot the bridle fa;
The Queen o Elfin she cried out,
'True Tam-a-Line's awa.' - 'Stay still, true Tam-a-Line,' she says,
'Till I pay you your fee:'
His father wants not lands nor rents,
He'll ask nae fee frae thee.' - 'Gin I had kent yestreen, yestreen,
What I ken weel the day,
I shoud taen your fu fause heart,
Gien you a heart o clay.' - Then he appeared in her arms
Like the wolf that neer woud tame;
She held him fast, let him not go,
Case they neer meet again. - Then he appeared in her arms
Like the fire burning bauld
She held him fast, let him not go,
He was as iron cauld. - And he appeared in her arms
Like the adder an the snake;
She held him fast, let him not go,
He was her warld's make. - And he appeared in her arms
Like to the deer sae wild;
he held him fast, let him not
He's father o her child. - And he appeared in her arms
Like to a silken string;
She held him fast let him not go,
Till she saw fair morning, - And he appeared in her arms
Like to a naked man
She held him fast, let him not go,
And wi her he's gane hame. - These news hae reachd thro a' Scotland
And far ayont the Tay,
That Lady Margaret, our king's daughter
That night had gaind her prey. - She borrowed her love at mirk midnight
Bare her young son ere day,
And though ye 'd search the warld wide
Ye'll nae fand sic a may.