Tam Lin Balladry

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Tam Lin: Oxford Book of Ballads

Source: Oxford Book of Ballads, edited by Arthur Quiller-Couch, 1927

Title: Tam Lin

Site reference number: 24

Summary

Maidens are waned against entering Caterhaugh for fear of Tam Lin, a bell-wearing deflowerer. Janets leaves her sewing bower to travel to the forbidden woods to pluck roses. There she encounters Tam lin, argues with him, and is then ravaged by him. She then travels home, where an old knight observes she is pregnant, and her brother advises an herbal abortive agent. She returns to the woods to fetch it, and again encounters Tam Lin, who inquires about her pregnancy. She asks him if he is mortal, and he tells her how he was captured by the faeries and is now under threat of sacrifice. He further informs her of how she can save him, by pulling him from the troop and holding him while he transforms, whish she does, to the anger of the Queen of faeries.

Tam Lin

  1. 'O I forbid you, maidens a',
    That wear gowd on your hair,
    To come or gae by Carterhaugh,
    For young Tam Lin is there.
  2. For even about that knight's middle
    O' siller bells are nine;
    And nae maid comes to Carterhaugh
    And a maid returns again.'
  3. Fair Janet sat in her bonny bower,
    Sewing her silken seam,
    And wish'd to be in Carterhaugh
    Amang the leaves sae green.
  4. She's lat her seam fa' to her feet,
    The needle to her tae,
    And she's awa' to Carterhaugh
    As fast as she could gae.
  5. And she has kilted her green kirtle
    A little abune her knee;
    And she has braided her yellow hair
    A little abune her bree;
    And she has gaen for Carterbaugh
    As fast as she can hie.
  6. She hadna pu'd a rose, a rose,
    A rose but barely ane,
    When up and started young Tam Lin;
    Says, ' Ladye, let alane.
  7. What gars ye pu' the rose, Janet ?
    What gars ye break the tree ?
    What gars ye come to Carterhaugh
    Without the leave o' me?'
  8. Weel may I pu' the rose,' she says,
    'And ask no leave at thee;
    For Carterhaugh it is my ain,
    My daddy gave it me.'
  9. He's ta'en her by the milk-white hand,
    And by the grass-green sleeve,
    He's led her to the fairy ground
    At her he askd nae leave.
  10. Janet has kilted her green kirtle
    A little abune her knee,
    And she has snooded her yellow hair
    A little abune her bree,
    And she is to her father's ha'
    As fast as she can hie.
  11. But when she came to her father's ha',
    She look'd sae wan and pale,
    They thought the lady had gotten a fright,
    Or with sickness she did ail.
  12. Four and twenty ladies fair
    Were playing at the ba',
    And out then came fair Janet
    Ance the flower amang them a'
  13. Four and twenty ladies fair
    Were playing at the chess,
    And out then came fair Janet
    As green as onie glass.
  14. Out then spak' an au d grey knight
    'Lay owre the Castle wa',
    And says, ' Alas, fair Janet!
    For thee we'll be blamed a'
  15. 'Hauld your tongue, ye auld-faced knight,
    Some ill death may ye die!
    Father my bairn on whom I will,
    I'll father nanre on thee.
  16. O if my love were an earthly knight,
    As he is an elfin gay,
    I wadna gie my ain true-love
    For nae laird that ye hae.
  17. 'The steed that my true-love rides on
    Is fleeter nor the wind;
    Wi' siller he is shod before,
    Wi' buming gold behind'
  18. Out then spak' her brither dear-
    He meant to do her harm:
    There grows an herb in Carterbaugh
    Will twine you an' the bairn.'
  19. Janet has kilted her green kirtle
    A little abune her knee,
    And she has snooded her yellow hair
    A little abune her bree,
    And she's awa' to Carterhaugh
    As fast as she can hie.
  20. She hadna pu'd a leaf, a leaf,
    A leaf but only twae,
    When up and started young Tam Lin,
    Says, I Ladye, thou's pu' nae mae.
  21. 'How dar' ye pu' a leaf he says,
    'How dar' ye break the tree,
    How dar' ye scathe my babe,' he says,
    That's between you and me?'
  22. O tell me, tell me, Tam,' she says,
    'For His sake that died on tree,
    If ye were ever in holy chapel
    Or sain'd in Christentie?
  23. The truth I'll tell to thee, Janet,
    Ae word I winna lee;
    A knight me got, and a lady me bore,
    As well as they did thee.
  24. Roxburgh he was my grandfather,
    Took me with him to bide;
    And ance it fell upon a day,
    As hunting I did ride,
  25. 'There came a wind out o' the north,
    A sharp wind an' a snell,
    A dead sleep it came over me
    And frae my horse I fell;
    And the Queen o' Fairies she took me
    In yon green hill to dwell.
  26. And pleasant is the fairy land
    For those that in it dwell,
    But ay at end of seven years
    They pay a teind to hell;
    I am sae fair and fu' o' flesh
    I'm fear'd 'twill be mysell.
  27. 'But the night is Halloween, Janet,
    The morn is Hallowday ;
    Then win me, win me, an ye will,
    For weel I wat ye may.
  28. 'The night it is gude Hallowe'en,
    The fairy folk do ride,
    And they that wad their true-love win,
    At Miles Cross they maun bide.'
  29. But how should I you ken, Tam Lin,
    How should I borrow you,
    Amang a pack of uncouth knights
    The like I never saw
  30. You'll do you down to Miles Cross
    Between twel' hours and ane,
    And fill your hands o' the holy water
    And cast your compass roun'.
  31. 'The first company that passes by,
    Say na, and let them gae;
    The neist company that passes by,
    Say na, and do right sae;
    The third company that passes by,
    Then I'll be ane o' thae.
  32. O first let pass the black, ladye,
    And syne let pass the brown;
    But quickly run to the milk-white steed,
    Pu' ye his rider down.
  33. For some ride on the black, ladye,
    And some ride on the brown;
    But I ride on a milk-white steed,
    A gowd star en my crown.
    Because I was an earthly knight
    They gie me that renown.
  34. My right hand will be gloved, ladye,
    My left hand wiII be bare,
    And thae's the tokens I gie thee:
    Nae doubt I will be there.
  35. 'Ye'll tak' my horse then by the head
    And let the bridle fa';
    The Queen o' Elfin she'll cry out
    "True Tam Lin he's awa'!"
  36. They'll turn me in your arms, ladye,
    An aske but and a snake;
    But hauld me fast, let me na gae,
    To be your warldis make.
  37. 'They'll turn me in your arms, ladye,
    But and a deer so wild ;
    But hauld me fast, let me na gae,
    The father o' your child.
  38. They'll shape me in your arms, ladye,
    A hot iron at the fire ;
    But hauld me fast, let me na go,
    To be your heart's desire.
  39. 'They'll shape me last in your arms, Janet,
    A mother-naked man;
    Cast your green mantle over me,
    And sae will I be won.'
  40. Janet has kilted her green kirtle
    A little abune the knee;
    And she has snooded her yellow hair
    A little abune her bree,
    And she is on to Miles Cross
    As fast as she can hie.
  41. About the dead hour o' the night
    She heard the bridles ring;
    And Janet was as glad at that
    As any earthly thing.
  42. And first gaed by the black, black steed,
    And syne gaed by the brown;
    But fast she gript the milk-white steed
    And pu'd the rider down.
  43. She's pu'd him frae the milk-white steed,
    An' loot the bridle fa'
    And up there rase an eldritch cry,
    'True Tam Lin he's awa'!'
  44. They shaped him in her arms twa
    An aske but and a snake;
    But aye she grips and hau'ds hint fast
    To be her warldis make.
  45. They shaped him in her arms twa
    But and a deer sae wild;
    But aye she grips and hau'ds him fast,
    The father o' her child.
  46. They shaped him in her arms twa
    A hot iron at the fire;
    But aye she grips and hau'ds him fast
    To be her heart's desire.
  47. They shaped him in her arms at last
    A mother-naked man;
    She cast her mantle over him,
    And sae her love she wan.
  48. Up then spak' the Queen o' Fairies,
    Out o' a bush o' broom,
    She that has borrow'd young Tam Lin
    Has gotten a stately groom!
  49. Out then spak' the Queen o' Fairies,
    And an angry woman was she,
    She's ta'en awa' the bonniest knight
    In a' my companie!
  50. But what I ken this night, Tam Lin,
    Gin I had kerit yestreen,
    I wad ta'en out thy heart o' flesh,
    And put in a heart o' stane.
  51. 'And adieu, Tam Lin! But gin I had kent
    A ladye wad borrow'd thee,
    I wad ta'en out thy twa grey e'en
    Put in twa e'en o' tree.
  52. And had I the wit yestreen, yestreen,
    That I have coft this day,
    I'd paid my teind seven times to hell
    Ere you had been won away!

Version Notes

Designated as song no.2 within the original collection

Added to site: June 1999