2. “Are ye
sleeping, Margret,” he says,
“Or
are ye waking, presentlie?
Give
me my faith and trouth again,
A
wat, true-love, I gied to thee.”
3. “Your
faith and trouth ye’s never get,
Nor
our true love shall never twin[127],
Till
ye come with me in my bower,
And
kiss me both cheek and chin.”
4. “My mouth
it is full cold, Margret,
It
has the smell now of the ground;
And
if I kiss thy comely mouth,
Thy
life-days will not be long.”
5. “Cocks
are crowing a merry mid-larf[128],
I
wat the wild fule boded day;
Give
me my faith and trouth again,
And
let me fare me on my way.”
6. “Thy faith
and trouth thou shall na get,
Nor
our true love shall never twin,
Till
ye tell me what comes of women
A
wat that dy’s in strong traveling[129].”
7. “Their
beds are made in the heavens high,
Down
at the foot of our good Lord’s knee,
Well
set about wi’ gilly-flowers,
A
wat sweet company for to see.”
8. “O cocks
are crowing a merry mid-larf,
A
wat the wild fule boded day;
The
salms of Heaven will be sung,
And
ere now I’ll be missed away.”
9. Up she has taen a bright
long wand,
And she has straked her trouth thereon[130];
She has given it him out at the shot-window,
Wi mony a sad sigh and heavy groan.
10. “I thank you, Margret,
I thank you, Margret,
And I thank you heartilie;
Gin ever the dead come for the quick,
Be sure, Margret, I’ll come again
for thee.”
11. It’s hose and shoon
an gound[131] alane
She clame the wall and followed him,
Until she came to a green forest,
On this she lost the sight of him.
12. “Is there any room
at your head, Sanders?
Is there any room at your feet?
Or any room at your twa sides?
Where fain, fain woud I sleep.”
13. “There is nae room
at my head, Margret,
There is nae room at my feet;
There is room at my twa sides,
For ladys for to sleep.”
14. “Cold meal[132]
is my covering owre,
But an[133] my winding sheet:
My bed it is full low, I say,
Among hungry worms I sleep.”
15. “Cold meal is my
covering owre,
But an my winding sheet:
The dew it falls nae sooner down
Than ay it is full weet.”
[Footnote 126: “I wot,”
“I know,” = truly, in sooth. The same
in 5-2, 6-4, 7-4, 8-2.]
[Footnote 127: Part, separate.
She does not yet know he is
dead.]
[Footnote 128: Probably the
distorted name of a town; a =
in. “Cocks are crowing in merry—,
and the wild-fowl announce
the dawn.”]
[Footnote 129: That die in childbirth.]