Volume 4 — 256 ALISON AND WILLIE
Reading edition
A. ‘My luve she lives in Lincolnshire,’ Harris MS., fol. 18 b; Mrs Harris. b. ‘Alison’ Buchan’s MSS., I, 231.
Alison gaily invites Willie to her wedding; he will not come unless to be the bridegroom, with her for bride. That day you will never see, says Alison; once on your horse, you will have no more mind of me than if I were dead. Willie rides slowly away, and his heart breaks with the pains of love; he dies by the way, and is left to the birds. A letter stops the wedding, and breaks Alison’s heart.
Stanza 7 must be left to those who can interpret Thomas of Erceldoune’s prophecies.
1
‘My luve she lives in Lincolnshire,
I wat she’s neither black nor broun,
But her hair is like the thread o gowd,
Aye an it waur weel kaimëd doun.’
2
She’s pued the black mask owre her face,
An blinkit gaily wi her ee:
‘O will you to my weddin come,
An will you bear me gude companie?’
4173
‘I winna to your weddin come,
Nor [will] I bear you gude companie,
Unless you be the bride yoursell,
An me the bridegroom to be.’
4
‘For me to be the bride mysel,
An you the bonnie bridegroom to be—
Cheer up your heart, Sweet Willie,’ she said,
‘For that’s the day you’ll never see.
5
‘Gin you waur on your saiddle set,
An gaily ridin on the way,
You’ll hae nae mair mind o Alison
Than she waur dead an laid in clay.’
6
When he was on his saiddle set,
An slowly ridin on the way,
He had mair mind o Alison
Than he had o the licht o day.
7
He saw a hart draw near a hare,
An aye that hare drew near a toun,
An that same hart did get a hare,
But the gentle knicht got neer a toun.
8
He leant him owre his saiddle-bow,
An his heart did brak in pieces three;
Wi sighen said him Sweet Willie,
‘The pains o luve hae taen hald o me.’
9
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
There cam a white horse an a letter,
That stopped the weddin speidilie.
10
She leant her back on her bed-side,
An her heart did brak in pieces three;
She was buried an bemoaned,
But the birds waur Willie’s companie.
a.
23. Oh. 103. He was.
b.
But wanting: threads.
21. She pu’d: mask aff.
22. blinked blythely.
23. Says, Will ye.
24. Or: gude wanting.
32. Nor will; gude wanting.
34. the bonny bridegroom be.
42. to wanting.
43. Sweet wanting.
52. And merry.
53. Ye’ll mind nae mair o.
54. When.
62. An weary.
71. He spied: draw till.
72. aye the.
73. An wanting.
81. leand his back to his.
83. said that sweet.
84. luve’s taen.
91,2. Their wedding-day it was well set, And a’ their friends invited there.
93. While came.
94. wedding in prepare.
Before 101: She said, If Willie he be dead, A wedded wife I’ll never be.
101. Then leand her back to her bed-stock.
102. Her heart in pieces broke in three.
103. then was.