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Fair Janet

No: 64; variant: 64G

  1. 'WILL you marry the southland lord, A queen of fair England to be? Or will you burn for Sweet Willie, The morn upon yon lea?'
  2. 'I will marry the southland lord, Father, sen it is your will; But I'd rather it were my burial-day, For my grave I'm going till.
  3. 'O go, O go now, my bower-wife, O go now hastilie, O go now to Sweet Willie's bower, And bid him cum speak to me.'

  1. And he is to his mother's bower, As fast as he could rin: 'Open, open, my mother dear, Open, and let me in.
  2. 'For the rain rains on my yellow hair, The dew stands on my chin, And I have something in my lap, And I wad fain be in.'
  3. 'O go, O go now, Sweet Willie, And make your lady blithe, For wherever you had ae nourice, Your young son shall hae five.'
  4. Out spak Annet's mother dear, An she spak a word o' pride; Says, Whare is a' our bride's maidens, They're no busking the bride?
  5. 'O haud your tongue, my mother dear, Your speaking let it be, For I'm sae fair and full o flesh Little busking will serve me.'
  6. Out an spak the bride's maidens, They spak a word o pride; Says, Whare is a' the fine cleiding? It's we maun busk the bride.
  7. 'Deal hooly wi my head, maidens, Deal hooly wi my hair; For it was washen late yestreen, And it is wonder sair.'

  1. And Willie swore a great, great oath, And he swore by the thorn, That she was as free o a child that night As the night that she was born.
  2. 'Ye hae gien me the gowk, Annet, But I'll gie you the scorn; For there's no a bell in a' the town Shall ring for you the morn.'
  3. Out and spak then Sweet Willie: Sae loud's I hear you lie! There's no a bell in a' the town But shall ring for Annet and me.