The Lass of Lochroyan

"O wha will shoe my bonny foot?

And wha will glove my hand?

And wha will bind my middle jimp

Wi' a lang, lang linen band?

"Thy sister will kame thy yellow hair,

Wi' a haw bayberry kame;

The Almighty will be thy babe's father

Till Gregory come hame."

"And wha will build a bonny ship,

And set it on the sea?

For I will go to seek my love,

My ain love Gregory."

Up then spak her father dear,

A wafu' man was he;

"And I will build a bonny ship,

And set her on the sea.

"And I will build a bonny ship,

And set her on the sea,

And ye sal gae and seek your love,

Your ain love Gregory."

Then he's gart build a bonny ship,

And set it on the sea,

Wi' four-and-twenty mariners,

To bear her company.

O he's gart build a bonny ship,

To sail on the salt sea;

The mast was o' the beaten gold,

The sails o' cramoisie.

The sides were o' the gude stout aik,

The deck o' mountain pine,

The anchor o' the silver shene,

The ropes o' silken twine.

She hadna sail'd but twenty leagues,

But twenty leagues and three,

When she met wi' a rank reiver,

And a' his companie.

"I'm no the Queen of Heaven hie,

Come to pardon ye your sin,

Nor am I Mary Magdalane,

Was born in Bethlam.

"But I'm the lass of Lochroyan,

That's sailing on the sea

To see if I can find my love,

My ain love Gregory."

"O see na ye yon bonny bower?

It's a' covered owre wi' tin;

When thou hast sail'd it round about,

Lord Gregory is within."

And when she saw the stately tower,

Shining both clear and bright,

Whilk stood aboon the jawing wave,

Built on a rock of height,

Says, "Row the boat, my mariners,

And bring me to the land,

For yonder I see my love's castle,

Close by the salt sea strand."

She sail'd it round, and sail'd it round,

And loud and loud cried she,

"Now break, now break your fairy charms,

And set my true-love free."                       

She's ta'en her young son in her arms,

And to the door she's gane,

And long she knock'd, and sair she ca'd.

But answer got she nane.

"O open, open, Gregory!

O open! if ye be within;

For here's the lass of Lochroyan,

Come far fra kith and kin.

"O open the door, Lord Gregory!

O open and let me in!

The wind blows loud and cauld, Gregory,

The rain drops fra my chin.

"The shoe is frozen to my foot,

The glove unto my hand,

The wet drops fra my yellow hair,

Na langer dow I stand."

O up then spak his ill mither,

—An ill death may she die!

"Ye're no the lass of Lochroyan,

She's far out-owre the sea.

"Awa', awa', ye ill woman,

Ye're no come here for gude;

Ye're but some witch or wil' warlock,

Or mermaid o' the flood."

"I am neither witch nor wil' warlock,

Nor mermaid o' the sea,

But I am Annie of Lochroyan,

O open the door to me!"

"Gin ye be Annie of Lochroyan,

As I trow thou binna she,

Now tell me of some love-tokens

That pass'd 'tween thee and me."

"O dinna ye mind, love Gregory,

As we sat at the wine,

We changed the rings frae our fingers?

And I can shew thee thine.

"O yours was gude, and gude enough,

But ay the best was mine,

For yours was o' the gude red gowd,

But mine o' the diamond fine.

"Yours was o' the gude red gowd,

Mine o' the diamond fine;

Mine was o' the purest troth,

But thine was false within."

"If ye be the lass of Lochroyan,

As I kenna thou be,

Tell me some mair o' the love-tokens

Pass'd between thee and me."

"And dinna ye mind, love Gregory!

As we sat on the hill,

Thou twin'd me o' my maidenheid,

Right sair against my will?

"Now open the door, love Gregory!

Open the door! I pray;

For thy young son is in my arms,

And will be dead ere day."

"Ye lie, ye lie, ye ill woman,

So loud I hear ye lie;

For Annie of the Lochroyan

Is far out-owre the sea."

Fair Annie turn'd her round about:

"Weel, sine that it be sae,

May ne'er woman that has borne a son

Hae a heart sae fu' o' wae!