Part 1 / Book 1 — 25. Earl Mar’s Daughter

I It was intill a pleasant time, Upon a simmer’s day, The noble Earl Mar’s daughter Went forth to sport and play. II And while she play’d and sported Below a green aik tree, There she saw a sprightly doo[214] Set on a tower sae hie. III ‘O Coo-me-doo, my love sae true, If ye’ll come doun to me, Ye’se hae a cage o’ gude red gowd Instead o’ simple tree. IV ‘I’ll put gowd hingers[215] roun’ your cage, And siller roun’ your wa’; I’ll gar ye shine as fair a bird As ony o’ them a’.’ V But she had nae these words well spoke, Nor yet these words well said, Till Coo-me-doo flew frae the tower And lichted on her head. VI Then she has brought this pretty bird Hame to her bowers and ha’, And made him shine as fair a bird As ony o’ them a’. VII When day was gone, and night was come, About the evening-tide, This lady spied a gallant youth Stand straight up by her side. VIII ‘From whence cam’ ye, young man?’ she said; ‘That does surprise me sair; My door was bolted right secure, What way hae ye come here?’— IX ‘O haud your tongue, ye lady fair, Lat a’ your folly be; Mind ye not o’ your turtle-doo Ye wiled from aff the tree?’— X ‘What country come ye frae?’ she said, ‘An’ what’s your pedigree?’— ‘O it was but this verra day That I cam’ ower the sea. XI ‘My mither lives on foreign isles, A queen o’ high degree; And by her spells I am a doo With you to live an’ dee.’— XII ‘O Coo-me-doo, my love sae true, Nae mair frae me ye’se gae.’— ‘That’s never my intent, my love; As ye said, it shall be sae.’ XIII Then he has stay’d in bower wi’ her For six lang years and ane, Till six young sons to him she bare, And the seventh she’s brought hame. XIV But aye, as ever a child was born, He carried them away, And brought them to his mither’s care As fast as he could fly. XV When he had stay’d in bower wi’ her For seven lang years an’ mair There cam’ a lord o’ high renown To court this lady fair. XVI But still his proffer she refused And a’ his presents too; Says, ‘I’m content to live alane Wi’ my bird Coo-me-doo.’ XVII Her father swore a michty oath Amang the nobles all, ‘The morn, or ere I eat or drink, This bird I will gar kill.’ XVIII The bird was sitting in his cage And heard what they did say; Says, ‘Wae is me, and you forlorn, If I do langer stay!’ XIX Then Coo-me-doo took flight and flew And afar beyond the sea, And lichted near his mither’s castle On a tower o’ gowd sae hie. XX His mither she was walking out To see what she could see, And there she saw her one young son Set on the tower sae hie. XXI ‘Get dancers here to dance,’ she said, ‘And minstrels for to play; For here’s my young son Florentine Come hame wi’ me to stay.’— XXII ‘Get nae dancers to dance, mither, Nor minstrels for to play; For the mither o’ my seven sons, The morn’s her wedding-day.’— XXIII ‘O tell me, tell me, Florentine, Tell me, an tell me true; Tell me this day without a flaw What I will do for you?’— XXIV ‘Instead of dancers to dance, mither, Or minstrels for to play, Turn four-and-twenty well-wight[216] men Like storks in feathers gray: XXV ‘My seven sons in seven swans Aboon their heads to flee; And I mysel’ a gay goshawk, A bird o’ high degree.’ XXVI Then siching said the Queen hersel’, ‘That thing’s too high for me!’ But she applied to an auld woman Wha had mair skill than she. XXVII Instead o’ dancers to dance a dance, Or minstrels for to play, Four-and-twenty well-wight men Turn’d birds o’ feathers gray. XXVIII Her seven sons in seven swans, Aboon their heads to flee; And he himsel’ a gay goshawk, A bird o’ high degree. XXIX This flock o’ birds took flight and flew Beyond the raging sea, And landed near the Earl Mar’s castle, Took shelter in every tree. XXX They were a flock o’ pretty birds Right comely to be seen; The people view’d them wi’ surprise As they dancèd on the green. XXXI These birds flew out frae every tree And lichted on the ha’, And [frae the roof] with force did flee Amang the nobles a’. XXXII The storks there seized [ilk wedding-guest] —They could not fight nor flee; The swans they bound the [bridegroom fast] Below a green aik tree. XXXIII They lichted next on the [bride-] maidens, Then on the bride’s own head; And wi’ the twinkling o’ an e’e The bride an’ them were fled. XXXIV There’s ancient men at weddings been For sixty years or more, But siccan a curious wedding-day They never saw before. XXXV For naething could the companie do, Nor naething could they say; But they saw a flock o’ pretty birds That took their bride away.