Summary
Lady Margaret goes to the greenwood to gather nuts, when a knight dressed in green appears and lays her down on the grass. Afterwards, she asks his name, and he relays that he was a nobleman and was carried away by the fairies. If she wants to save him, she must go to Aucht-Mile_Brig. He tells her how to recognize him among the Seelie troop, and the sequence of his transformations. When she has won him, the Seelie Queen expresses that she wished she'd replaced his heart with a heart of clay. Lady Margaret responds by cursing the Seelie Queen for keeping her true love from her for so long
A Fairie Sang
- Ladie Margaret's to the greenwod gane
As fast as she can flee
To pou the ripe nuts as thay grow
Upon the hazel tree - She hadna pouit a nit at aw
A nit but onlie three
Till a bonnie knicht rase at her side
Aw drest in green was he - He laid her doun upon the grass
She cried O fye for shame
An whan he gat his will o her
She spierit what was his name - My father was a nobleman
He wonnit in fair Scotland
But the queen of the Fairies staw me awa
Whan I was but a little ane - The morn's nicht is new Halloween
Whan aw the Fairies ryde
An she that intends her luve to win
At the Aught-Mile-Brig maun byde - But should I gae to the Aucht-Mile-Brig
How wad I ken you there
My richt hand will be gluvit he said
An my left hand will be bare - Ye'll first pass by the bonnie black
An syne the bonnie brown
An whan ye cum to the milk white steed
Ye'll pu the ryder doun - The first thing that they turn me to
Will be to a fyrie snake
But haud me fast and feir me not
I'm ane o God's ain mak - The neist thing that they'll turn me to
Will be to a Bear sae wild
But haud me fast and fear me not
I'm the father o your child - The neist thing that they'll turn me to
Will be a nakit man
But wrap your mantle round my waste
An then ye'll hae me won - Then out an spek the seilie queen
As she was on her flicht
There'll be a ladie at the Aucht-Mile-Brig
Will win a prize this nicht - Ladie Margaret kilit up her coat
An sae did she her gown
An till she cam to Aucht-Mile-Brig
She never lute them doun - The first thing that they turnit him to
Was to a fyrie snake
But she held him fast an feirit him not
He was ane o God's ain make - The neist thing that they turnit him to
Was to a bear sae wild
But she held him fast and feirit him not
He was father to her child - The neist thing that they turnit him to
Was to a nakit man
She wrapt her mantle round his waist
An then she had him round - Out then spak the seily queen
An angrie queen was she
Ladie Margaret ye've tane the bravest lord
That eir rade in my brave menyie - But had I kent what I ken now
But twa short hours ere day
I'd hae tane out his braw wee heart
An put in a heart o clay - My curse upon ye seily queen
An an ill death may ye dee
For ye hae kept my ain trew love
This monie a yeir frae me.
Version Notes
Added to site: June 2015