William Stanley Braithwaite, ed. The Book of Restoration Verse. 1910.
Tam LinAnonymous
O I
That wear gowd on your hair,
To come or gae by Carterhaugh,
For young Tam Lin is there.
But they leave him a wad,
Either their rings, or green mantles,
Or else their maidenhead.
A little aboon her knee,
And she has broded her yellow hair
A little aboon her bree,
And she’s awa’ to Carterhaugh,
As fast as she can hie.
Tam Lin was at the well,
And there she fand his steed standing,
But away was himsel.
A rose but only twa,
Till up then started young Tam Lin,
Says, ‘Lady, thou’s pu’ nae mae!
And why breaks thou the wand?
Or why comes thou to Carterhaugh
Withoutten my command?’
My daddie gave it me;
I’ll come and gang by Carterhaugh,
And ask nae leave at thee.’
A little aboon her knee,
And she has snooded her yellow hair
A little aboon her bree,
And she is to her father’s ha’,
As fast as she can hie.
Were playing at the ba,
And out then cam the fair Janet,
Ance the flower amang them a’.
Were playing at the chess,
And out then cam the fair Janet,
As green as onie glass.
Lay oer the castle wa’,
And says, ‘Alas, fair Janet, for thee
But we’ll be blamed a’.’
Some ill death may ye die!
Father my bairn on whom I will,
I’ll father nane on thee.’
And he spak meek and mild;
‘And ever alas, sweet Janet,’ he says,
‘I think thou gaes wi’ child.’
Mysel maun bear the blame;
There’s neer a laird about your ha’
Shall get the bairn’s name.
As he’s an elfin grey,
I wae na gie my ain true-love
For nae lord that ye hae.
Is lighter than the wind;
Wi’ siller he is shod before,
Wi’ burning gowd behind.’
A little aboon her knee,
And she has snooded her yellow hair
A little aboon her bree,
And she’s awa’ to Carterhaugh,
As fast as she can hie.
Tam Lin was at the well,
And there she fand his steed standing,
But away was himsel.
A rose but only twa,
Till up then started young Tam Lin,
Says, ‘Lady, thou pu’s nae mae.
Amang the groves sae green,
And a’ to kill the bonie babe
That we gat us between?’
‘For’s sake that died on tree,
If eer ye was in holy chapel,
Or christendom did see?’
Took me with him to bide,
And ance it fell upon a day
That wae did me betide.
A cauld day and a snell,
When we were frae the hunting come,
That frae my horse I fell;
The Queen o’ Fairies she caught me,
In yon green hill to dwell.
But, an eerie tale to tell,
Ay at the end of seven years
We pay a tiend to hell;
I am sae fair and fu’ o’ flesh,
I’m fear’d it be mysel.
The morn is Hallowday;
Then win me, win me, an ye will,
For weel I wat ye may.
The fairy folk will ride,
And they that wad their true-love win,
At Miles Cross they maun bide.’
Or how my true-love know,
Amang sae mony unco knights
The like I never saw?’
And syne let pass the brown,
But quickly run to the milk-white steed,
Pu’ ye his rider down.
And ay nearest the town;
Because I was an earthly knight
They gie me that renown.
My left hand will be bare,
Cockt up shall my bonnet be,
And kaim’d down shall my hair,
And thae’s the takens I gie thee,
Nae doubt I will be there.
Into an esk and adder;
But hold me fast, and fear me not,
I am your bairn’s father.
And then a lion bold;
But hold me fast, and fear me not,
As ye shall love your child.
To a red hot gaud of airn;
But hold me fast, and fear me not,
I’ll do to you nae harm.
Into the burning gleed;
Then throw me into well water,
O throw me in wi’ speed.
I’ll turn a naked knight;
Then cover me wi’ your green mantle,
And cover me out o’ sight.’
And eerie was the way,
As fair Jenny in her green mantle
To Miles Cross she did gae.
She heard the bridles ring;
This lady was as glad at that
As any earthly thing.
And syne she let the brown;
But quickly she ran to the milk-white steed,
And pu’d the rider down.
And young Tam Lin did win;
Syne cover’d him wi’ her green mantle,
As blythe’s a bird in spring.
Out of a bush o’ broom:
‘Them that has gotten young Tam Lin
Has gotten a stately groom.’
And an angry woman was she:
‘Shame betide her ill-far’d face,
And an ill death may she die,
For she’s taen awa’ the bonniest knight
In a’ my companie.
‘What now this night I see,
I wad hae taen out thy twa grey een,
And put in twa een o’ tree.’