English and Scottish popular ballads - National Library of Scotland

; '
354 39. TAM LIN
14 It 's four and twenty ladies fair
Were playing at the ba
Janet, the wightest of them anes,
Was faintest o them a'.
15 Four and twenty ladies fair
Were playing at the chess ;
And out there came the fair Janet,
As green as any grass.
1(5 Out and spak an auld grey-headed knight,
Lay oer the castle \va :
' And ever, alas ! for thee, Janet,
!
But we '11 be blamed a'
17 ' Now baud your tongue, ye auld grey knight,
And an ill deid may ye die I
Father my bairn on whom I will,
I '11 father nane on thee.'
18 Out then spak her father dear,
And he spak meik and mild :
' And ever, alas ! my
sweet Janet,
I fear ye gae with child.'
19 ' And if I be with child, father,
Mysell maun bear the blame ;
There 's neer a knight about your ha
Shall hae the bairnie's name.
20 ' And if I be with child, father,
'Twill prove a wondrous birth,
For weel I swear I 'm not wi bairn
To any man on earth.
'_' 1 ' If my love were an earthly knight,
As he 's an elfin grey,
I wadna gie my ain true love
For nae lord that ye hae.'
22 She prinkd hersell and prinnd hcrsell,
By the ae light of the moon,
And she's away to Cartrrhuugh,
To speak wi young Tamlane.
23 And when she cam to Carterhaugb,
She gaed beside the well,
And there she saw the steed standing,
But away was himsell.
24 She hadna pu'd a double rose,
A rose but only twae,
When "p and started young Tamlane,
Says, Lady, thou jut's nae mae.
25 Why pu ye the rose, Janet,
Within this garden grene,
And a' to kill the bonny babe
That we got us between ?
2G ' The truth ye '11 tell to me, Tamlane,
A word ye mauna lie ;
Gin eer ye was in haly chapel,
Or sained in Christentie ? '
27 ' The truth I '11 tell to thee, Janet,
A word I winna lie ;
A knight me got, and a lady me bore,
As well as they did thee.
28 ' Randolph. Earl Murray, was my sire.
Dunbar. Karl March, is thine :
We loved when we were children small.
Which yet yon well may mind.
29 'When I was a buy just turnd of nine.
My uncle sent for me,
To bunt and hawk, and ride with him,
And keep hini companie.
30 ' There came a wind out of the north,
A sharp wind and a snell,
And a deep sleep came over me.
And frae my horse I fell.
31
' The Queen of Fairies keppit me
In yon green hill to dwell,
And I 'in a fairy, lyth and limb,
Fair ladye, view me well.
32 'Then would I never tire, Janet.
33
34
In Elfish land to dwell,
But aye, at every seven years,
They pay the teind to hell ;
And I am sae fat and fair of flesh,
I fear 't will be mysell.
' This night is Halloween, Janet,
The morn is Ilallowday,
Ami gin ye dare your true love win,
Ye hae nae lime t.i stay.
' The night it is good Halloween,
When fairy folk will ride,