(Trad - Child #216)
Willie stood at the stable door a-leanin' owre his steed
A-looking at his white fingers till his nose began tae bleed
Oh bring some corn to my horse and gie my young man meat
And I'll awa' tae Maggie's bower I'll be there afore she sleeps
Oh Willie, Willie dinna gyang, it's sair against my will
Ye've the deepest pot in the Clyde tae cross, an' it's there that ye will droon
The horse that I'm to ride upon cost me twice thirty pound
An' I'll put trust in ma ain horse heels and he'll cairry me safe an' soun'
So he rade o'er hills an' rade doon dales and doon yon dowie den
But the rush that rose in Clyde's water wad have feared a hundred men
Oh Clyde, ye Clyde, ye rollin' Clyde, yer waves are wondrous strong
Mak' me a wreck as I come back but spare me as I gyang
Oh Maggie, Maggie, Maggie dear oh rise an' lat me in
For my boots are fu' o' Clyde's water an' I'm shiverin' tae the skin
My stables are full o' horses, my sheds are fu' o' hay
My beds are fu' o' gentlemen that winna leave till day
Maggie wakened in the morning, and to her mother she ran
Says, I dreamed that Willie was here last nicht an' I widnae lat him in
So he rade o'er hills and rade doon dales and doon yon dowie den
But the rush that rose in Clyde's water took Willie's cane fae him
Leanin' owre his saiddle-bows to catch his cane through force
The rush that rose in Clyde's water took Willie fae his horse
Willie's brother stands on the bank, now how can Willie droon
Oh turn ye tae yer high horse heid an' he'll learn ye how to sweem
As sung by John Strachan on 'The Muckle Sangs'
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So sleep ye, Maggie, waukin, Maggie, rise, come lat me in
For my boots are fu' o' Clyde water, an' I'm soakin' tae the skin
So who is that at my window, so fain he would be in
'Tis yer own true lover Willie dear, frae Scotland he has came
'Tis I hae nae lover there-oot, she cried, I hae nae lover but een
It's the ae true love that I dae hae was here late yestreen
S'well fare ye well then, false Maggie, since better canna be
Oh I'll awa' the road I cam, nae mair come thee to see ...
His brother stands upon yonder banks, says, Fie man, will ye droon
So turn ye roon' t'yir high horse heid an' learn how to swim
Oh why could I turn to my high horse head and learn how to swim
It's the deepest pot in a' the Clyde, an' here that I maun droon
... Oh mother dear, come rede my drowsy dream
I dreamt sweet Willie was at my gates, naer yin wid lat him in
'S lie still, lie still, my Maggie dear, lie still an' tak' your rest
Since your true love was at your gates, 'tis full three quarters past
But it's Maggie rose, put on her clothes, an' to the Clyde she went
The first step noo that she took in, it took her tae the knee
The next step noo that she took in, it took her tae the chin
In the deepest pot in a' the Clyde she found her Willie in
So you have got a cruel mother, and I have got another
But here we lie in Clyde water like sister and like brother
As sung by Willie Edward on 'The Muckle Sangs'