Henry's Songbook

The Laird o' Roslin's dochter walked through the woods her lane
And met wi' Captain Wedderburn, a servant tae the King
Says he untae his servant man, Were't nae against the law
I'd tak' her tae my ain bed any lay her at the wa'

I'm walking here my lane, she said, Amang my faither's trees
And you maun let me walk my lane, kind sir, now if you please
The supper bell it will be rung, and I'll be missed awa'
So I'll no lie intae yer bed at either stock or wa'

Says he, My bonnie lady, I pray gie me yer hand
And you'll hae drums and trumpets always at your command
And fifty men tae guard ye wi' that weel their swords can draw
So we'll baith lie in ae bed, and ye'll lie at the wa'

O haud awa' fae me, kind sir, I pray let go my hand
The supper bell it will be sung - I maun nae langer stand
My faither will nae supper tak' if I am missed awa'
So I'll no lie intae yer bed at either stock or wa'

My name is Captain Wedderburn, my name I'll ne'er deny
And I command ten thousand men upon yon mountain high
If yer faither and his men were here o' them I'd stand nae awe
But I'd tak' ye tae my ain bed, and lay ye at the wa'

Then he lap off his milk-white steed and set the lady on
And a' the way he gae'd on foot and held her by the hand
He held her by the middle jimp for fear that she would fa' (jimp - neat)
Sayin', I'll tak' ye tae my ain bed, and lay ye at the wa'

He's ta'en her tae his lodgin'-hoose, the landlady looked ben
Sayin', Mony's a pretty lady in Edinburgh I've seen
But sicna bonnie lady is nae intae it at a'
So mak' for her a fine down bed and lay her at the wa'

O haud awa' fae me, kind sir, I pray ye let me be
For I'll no lie intae yer bed till I get dishes three
It's dishes three ye maun dress me, gin I should eat them a'
Afore I'll lie intae yer bed at either stock or wa'

For my supper I maun hae a chicken withoot a bane
An' for my supper I maun hae a cherry withoot a stane
An' for my supper I maun hae a bird withoot a ga'
Afore I'll lie intae yer bed at either stock or wa'

When the chicken's in the shell, I'm sure it has nae bane
And when the cherry's in the bloom, I wat it has nae stane
The doo she is a genty bird, and flees withoot a ga' (ga' - gall)
So we'll baith lie in ae bed, and ye'll be at the wa'

O haud awa' fae me, kind sir, I pray ye gie me ower
For I'll no lie intae yer bed till I get presents fower
It's presents fower ye maun gie me, and that is twa an' twa
Afore I'll lie intae yer bed at either stock or wa'

I maun hae some winter fruit that in December grew
And I maun hae a silken goon that waft gaed never through
A sparrow's horn, a priest unborn this nicht tae jine us twa
Afore I'll lie intae yer bed at either stock or wa'

My faither has some winter fruit that in December grew
My mither has a silken goon that waft gaed never through
A sparrow's horn ye sune would find - there's ane on ilka claw
An' twa upon the gab o' it, and ye shall hae them a'

The priest that stands withoot the yett just ready tae come in
Nae man can say that he was born, nae man unless he sin
For he was whale cut frae his mither's side and fae the same lat fa'
So we'll baith lie in ae bed, and ye'll lie at the wa'

Oh little did that lady think that morning whan she raise
That this was for tae be the last o' a' her maiden days
But noo there's no within the realm tae be found a blither twa
For noo she's Mistress Wedderburn, and she lies at the wa'

As sung by Jean Redpath

[1966:] An example [of encapsuling an old song in a ballad narrative] would be [this], which incorporates the ancient song of My love gave me a cherry, appearing as early as the fifteenth century in the Sloane MS. 2593. (Bronson, Ballad 271)

[1978:] Collected in Aberdeenshire early this century by Gavin Greig, and published in Greig and Keith's 'Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads and Ballad Airs' (Aberdeen 1925) (Child no. 46). (Peter Shepheard, notes 'Sheath & Knife')

[1987:] This ballad has gone full circle. The older element of the story, the riddles, can be traced back at least as far as the Sloan MS. of the early 15th century. Scholars agree that the rest of the story is late and literary. In America it has again been reduced to the basic riddling format in the song I Gave My Love A Cherry. There is no English counterpart of this ballad as far as I know, but it is the basis for Bob Coltman's contemporary American song Captain Hanley and Sweet Mazie. (Notes 'Jean Redpath')

[1995:] The first printing of this ballad was in 'The New British Songster, a collection of Songs, Scots and English, with Toasts and Sentiments for the Bottle', Falkirk, 1785. The standard North-East tune which Sheena sings is first found in Christie's 'Traditional Ballad Airs', and he traces it back to his grandfather's singing in the late 18th century. Not found in England, the piece is known from both Scotland and Ireland and usually taken to be a rather late flowering of the ballad form, its regularity and literary tendencies savouring of the broadside press. The customs it alludes to are, however, very ancient. Tales of winning a lady by wit are present in the 3rd or 4th century work of Appolonius of Tyre, and there are similar riddles in Virgil. The German minnesingers, witness Tannhauser, demanded ferlies (wonders) from lovers and in Russia the bridegroom has to answer riddles for the bride to be released from her house for the wedding. (Peter Hall, notes 'Folk Songs of North-East Scotland')