Willie's Lady
Martin Carthy, Martin Carthy, Crown of Horn, Topic TSCD300, first lp release, 1976

King Willie he's sailed over the raging foam
He's wooed a wife and he's brought her home

He wooed her for her long golden hair
His mother wrought her a mighty care

And a weary spell she's laid on her
She'd be with child for long and many's the year
But a child she would never bear

And in her bower she lies in pain
King Willie at her bedhead he do stand
As down his cheeks salten tears do run

King Willie back to his mother he did run
He's gone there as a begging son

Says - Me true love has this fine noble steed
The like of which you ne'er did see

At every part of this horse's mane
There's hanging fifty silver bells and ten
There's hanging fifty bells and ten

This goodly gift shall be your own
If back to me own true love you'll turn again
That she might bear her baby son

Oh, the child she'll never lighter be
Nor from sickness will she e'er be free

But she will die and she will turn to clay
And you will wed with another maid

Then sighing said this weary man
As back to his own true love he's gone again -
I wish my life was at an end

King Willie back to his mother he did run
And he's gone there as a begging son

Says - Me true love has this fine golden girdle
Set with jewels all about the middle

At every part of this girdle's hem
There's hanging fifty silver bells and ten
There's hanging fifty bells and ten

This goodly gift shall be your own
If back to me own true love you'll turn again
That she might bear her baby son

Oh, of her child she'll never lighter be
Nor from sickness will she e'er be free

But she will die and she will turn to clay
And you will wed with another maid

Sighing says this weary man
As back to his own true love he's gone again -
I wish my life was at an end

Then up and spoke his noble queen
And she has told King Willie of a plan
How she might bear her baby son

She says - You must go get you down to the market place
And you must buy you a loaf of wax

And you must shape it as a babe that is to nurse
And you must make two eyes of glass

Ask your mother to a christening day
And you must stand there close as you can be
That you might hear what she do say

King Willie he's gone down to the market place
And he has bought him a loaf of wax

And he has shaped it as a babe that is to nurse
And he has made two eyes of glass

He asked his mother to a christening day
And he has stood there close as he could be
That he might hear what she did say

How she spoke and how she swore
She spied the babe where no babe could be before
She spied the babe where none could be before

Says - Who was it who undid the nine witch knots
Braided in amongst this lady's locks

And who was it who took out the combs of care
Braided in amongst this lady's hair

And who was it slew the master kid
That ran and slept all beneath this lady's bed
That ran and slept all beneath her bed

And who was it unlaced her left shoe
And who was it that let her lighter be
That she might bear her baby boy

And it was Willie who undid the nine witch knots
Braided in amongst this lady's locks

And it was Willie who took out the combs of care
Braided in amongst this lady's hair

And it was Willie the master kid did slay
And it was Willie who unlaced her left foot shoe
And he has let her lighter be

And she is born out a baby son
And greater the blessings that be them upon
And greater the blessings them upon