POSTHUMOUS POEMS
The rain fell frae her feet and hands,
Frae her lang hair and fine:
"What ails ye at the baked meats, Helen,
The brown wheat bread and the wine?"
Frae her lang hair and fine:
"What ails ye at the baked meats, Helen,
The brown wheat bread and the wine?"
She's turned her by the waist about,
She's turned her by the knee;
She's witched her body to a laidley worm,
A laidley worm to be.
She's turned her by the knee;
She's witched her body to a laidley worm,
A laidley worm to be.
"The red fruit shall grow in green river water,
And green grass in the wet sea,
Ere ye shall come to a fair woman,
A fair woman to be."
And green grass in the wet sea,
Ere ye shall come to a fair woman,
A fair woman to be."
And she's garr'd bigg her seven swine-brows,
She's made them wide and lang;
She's tane the kail and the meal pocks
That the foul worm might feed amang.
She's made them wide and lang;
She's tane the kail and the meal pocks
That the foul worm might feed amang.
Aye she roupit and aye she croupit
And aye she soupit the mair;
And for the breath of her laidley mouth
The sweet land stank fu' sair.
And aye she soupit the mair;
And for the breath of her laidley mouth
The sweet land stank fu' sair.
Word is come to Lady Helen's brother,
In God's town where he lay,
His father had gatten a braw new bride
And his sister was stown away.
In God's town where he lay,
His father had gatten a braw new bride
And his sister was stown away.
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