Sweet Willie and Fair Annie
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Lyrics
Sweet Willie and fair Annie sat adye they on a hill
Though they had sidden seven lang year, they ne'er had their fill
Sweet Willie said a word in haste and Annie took a till
"I winna wed a talkless maid against my mother's will
For ye're come o' the rich, Willie, and I'm come o' the poor
I'm a' well like to be your bride, and I winna be your whore"
So Willie's gaen until her burgh and Willie doon the deir
And he's come to his mother's burgh by the lee light o' the moon
"Asleep, ye wake, your mother," he says, "or I the burgh within
Asleep right aft, awake right aft, wha wants ye wi' me, son?
Whaur hae you been a' nicht, Willie, and whaur you've tarried lang?"
"I've been courtin' fair Annie, and she is frae me gang"
"There is twa maidens in a burgh which I'll answer lie bring hame
The nut-brown maid is sheep and cows, fair Annie she's god's name
It's on ye wed the nut-brown maid, I'll heed pu' goud my hand
But on ye wed fair Annie, I'll stick it wi' a wand
The nut-brown maid is sheep and cows, fair Annie she's god's name
And Willie, for my benison, the nut-brown maid bring hame
I s'll wed the nut-brown maid, and I s'll bring her hame
But peace nor rest atween us twa till deaths and earth's agen
For sheep will die in cots, my lord, and owsen die in byre
And what's this world's wealth to me, can I get nae my heart's desire?
You'll tell her to come to Willie's
Weddin', the morn at twelve at noon
You'll tell her to come to Willie's weddin', the air at a plintoon"
So he is on to Annie's burgh, and he's tumblin' down the pen
For wis there any as Annie herself to open and let him in?
"It's I will come to Willie's weddin', the morn at twelve to dine
It's I will come to Willie's weddin'
, Though I'd rather it had been mine"
"So, maidens, tae my burgh come and lay goud on my hair
And fa' yer lady plaid, before ye'll nae hae ten times mair
Tamers, tae my burgh come and mak to me your weed
And smiths, unto my stable come and shew to me your steed"
At every tae to Annie's horse there hang the silver bell
There cam a wind oot frae, and an a' which maun the matin knell
When she cam to Mary's garth and sat down in the dae's
The licht that cam frae fair Annie and lichted a' the place
But up and stands the nut-brown bride just at her father's knee
"Oh, fa' is this, my father, dee that blinks in Willie's ee?
"Oh, this is Willie's first true love, afore he loved thee
Can that be Willie's first true love, he maught to let me be?"
"Oh, far got ye the water, Annie, that washes ye sae white?
I got it in my mother's wey, for you'll ne'er get the like
For ye've been washed in Dunny's well, and dried on Dunny's dyke
And a' the water in the sea will never wash ye white"
When nicht was come and day was gaen, and a' man bound to bed
Sweet Willie and the nut-brown maid were in their chamber lay
They war nae weel lying doon, but scarce they fall asleep
When up and stands she fair Annie just up at Willie's feet
"Weel brook ye a' your brown brown bride atween ye and the war
And say will I am a winin' sheet, that suits me best of a'?"
Said Willie, "Raise but on his claes through tiltham hose and shoe
And he is on to Annie's burgh by the lee light o' the moon"
The firston burgh that he cam till, there was right a wee wark
Her mother and her three sisters were makin' her a sark
An' easton burgh that he cam till, there was right a wee cheer
He's lifted up the coverlet fair Annie lays strae gaede
"It's I will kiss your bonny cheek and I will kiss your chin
I will kiss your clay cauld lip, but I'll nae kiss woman again
The day you deal at Annie's grave, the bread, butter and the wine
Afore the morn at twelve o'clock, they'll deal the same at mine"
The tain was buried in Mary's garth, the tiller in Mary's kwire
And out o' the tain there grew a murk, and out o' the tiller a briar
And aye they grew and aye they grew until the twa did meet
And every ane that passed them by said, "There's been lovers sweet"