EARL ROBERT
Now God thee hold, thou fair Annie,
The wa’s are hard to leap;
The water is ill to swim, Annie,
And the brigg is ill to keep.
The wa’s are hard to leap;
The water is ill to swim, Annie,
And the brigg is ill to keep.
Gin I should open to ye, Robert,
I wis it were open shame:
It were great pity of me, Robert,
For I gang but sick and lame.
I wis it were open shame:
It were great pity of me, Robert,
For I gang but sick and lame.
O twice I cuttit the silk string through
That was upon my back;
And twice I cuttit the gown away
That wadn’a haud me slack,
That was upon my back;
And twice I cuttit the gown away
That wadn’a haud me slack,
It’s ill wi’ me the night, Robert,
It’s weel wi’ my leman;
For the wine that comes in my fingers,
I spill it on my han’;
And the meat that’s in my very mouth,
I wot it feeds a man.
It’s weel wi’ my leman;
For the wine that comes in my fingers,
I spill it on my han’;
And the meat that’s in my very mouth,
I wot it feeds a man.
Gin I may win to ye, Annie,
I think ye'll keep me weel.
I were the liefer oe you Robert,
But for the doors of shut steel.[1]
I think ye'll keep me weel.
I were the liefer oe you Robert,
But for the doors of shut steel.[1]
- ↑ In the Manuscript this stanza has been lightly struck through with a pen. Probably the author intended to delete it.—[Eds.]
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