Here are some more to choose from :-


1 Willie stands in his stable door,
    and clapping at his steed,
   when over his white fingers
    his nose began to bleed.

2 "Gie corn unto my horse, mither,
    gie meat unto my man;
   for I maun gang to Margaret's bour
    before the nicht comes on."

3 "O bide at hame this nicht, Willie,
    this ae bare nicht wi' me;
   the bestan bed in a' my house
    sall be well made to thee.

4 O bide at hame this night , Willie,
    this ae bare nicht wi' me;
   the bestan bird in a' the roost
    at your supper, son, sall be".

5 "A' your beds and a' your roosts
    I value not a pin;
   but I sall gae to my love's gates
    this nicht, gif I can win."

6 "O stay at hame, my son Willie,
    the wind blaws cauld an' sour;
   the nicht will be baith mirk and late
    before ye reach her bour."

7 "O though the nicht were ever sae dark
    or the wind blew never sae cauld,
   I will be in my Margaret's bour
    before twa hors be tald."

8 "O an ye gang to Margerat's bour
    sae sair against my will,
   i' the deepest pot o' Clyde's water
    my malison ye'se feel."

9 As he rade owre yon high high hill,
    and doun yon dowie den,
   the roaring that was in Clyde water
    wad fley'd five hundred men.

10 His heart was warm, his pride was up,
    sweet Willie kentna fear;
   but yet his mither's malison
    aye soundis in his ear.

11 "O spare, O spare me, Clyde's water!
    Your stream rins wondrous strang;
   mak' me your wrack as I come back,
    but spare me as I gang!"

12 Then he rade in, and further in,
    and he swam to an' fro,
   until he's grippit a hazel bush
    that brung him to the brow.

13 Then he is on to Margeret's bour,
    and tirl-ed at the pin;
   but the doors were steek'd and windows barr'd,
    and nane wad let him in.

14 "O open the door to me, Mar'gret!
    O open and let me in!
   for my boots are fu' o' Clyde's water
    and the rain rins owre my chin."

15 "I darena open the door to you,
    nor darena let you in;
   for my mither she is fast asleep
    and I maun mak' nae din."

16 "O hae ye ne'er a stable?" says he,
    "or hae ye ne'er a barn?
   Or hae ye ne'er a wild-goose house
    where I may rest till morn?"

17 "My barn is fu' o' corn," she says,
    My stable is fu' o' hay;
   My house is fu' o' merry young men;
    they winna remove till day."

18 "O fare ye weel then, May Marg'ret,
    sin' better may na be!
   I've gotten my mither's malison
    this nicht, coming to thee."

19 He's mounted on his coal-black steed,
    - O but his heart was wae!
   But ere he came to Clyde's water
    'twas half up owre the brae.

20 "An hey, Willie! An hoa, Willie!
    Winna ye turn agen?"
   But aye the louder that she cried
    he rade agenst the win' "

21 As he rade owre yon high high hill
    an dou yon dowie den,
   the roaring that was in Clyde's water
    wad fley'd a thousand men.

22 Then he rade in, and further in,
    'till he cam' to the chine;
   the rushing that was in Clyde's water
    took Willie's riding-cane.

23 He lean'd him owre his saddle-bow
    to catch the rod by force;
   the rushing that was in Clyde's water
    took Willie frae his horse.

24 "O how can I turn my horse's head?
    How can I learn to sowm?
   I've gotten my mither's malison,
    and it's here that I maun drown!"

25 O he swam high, and he swam low,
    and he swam to and fro,
   but he couldna spy the hazel-bush
    wad bring him to the brow.

26 He's sunk and never rase agen
    into the pot sae deep ...
   and up it waken'd May Margaret
    out o' her drowsie sleep.

27 "Come hither, com here, my mither dear,
    read me this dreary dream;
   I dream'd my Willie was at our gates
    and nane wad let him in."

28 "Lie still, lie still now, my Meggie;
    lie still and tak' your rest;
   sin' your true-love was at your gates
    it's but twa quarters past" -

29 Nimbly, nimbly rase she up,
    and nimbly put she on;
   and the higher that the lady cried
    the louder blew the win'.

30 The firstan step that she stept in,
    she steppit to the queet:
   "Ohon, alas!" said that lady,
    "This water's wondrous deep."

31 The neistan step that she stept in,
    she waded to the knee;
   say she, "I cou'd wade farther in
    if I my love cou'd see."

32 The neistan step that she wade in
    she waded to the chin;
   the deepest pot in Clyde's water
    she got sweet William in.

33 "Ye've had a cruel mither, Willie!
    And I have had anither;
   but we sall sleep in Clyde's water
    like sister an' like brither."


malison = curse    dowie = dismal    fley'd = frightened
sowm = swim    queet = ankle

The Oxford Book of Ballads, edited by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch (OUP 1910)

I wonder if there was a superstition that a man getting a nosebleed meant his girlfriend was being unfaithful - an example perhaps of sympathetic magic.

The scene of action is, I believe, near the Clyde headwaters.

Note that in this version Margaret's mother is not identified to the audience when she speaks to Willie, and that she tries to call him back when he rides away.

I'm a bit puzzled by a couple of things, such as the "wild-goose house." Were they trapping wild geese and keeping them for the pot? And why did Willie want his servant as well as his horse fed before he set off? Could there be missing verses where the servant comes along and then turns back?