The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #83165 Message #1526800
Posted By: Roberto
24-Jul-05 - 03:47 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: The Laird o' Warriston (from G McCulloch)
Subject: Lyr Req: gordeanna's laird o' warriston #194
Please, help me to complete and correct this transcription. The ballad is LAIRD OF WARISTON, number 194 in F. J. Child's The English and Scottish Popular Ballads.
The Laird o' Warriston Gordeanna McCulloch, In Freenship's Name, Greentrax CDTRAX 123, 1997. From the singing of Ewan MacColl.
My mither was an ill woman At fifteen years she married me I hadna wit to guide a man Alas! ill fortune guided me
O Warriston, O Warriston I wish that ye may sink for sin! I was but bare fifteen years auld When first I cam your yetts within
I hadna been a month a bride When my guid lord gaed tae the sea I bore a bairn ere he cam hame And sat it on the nourice's knee
Then it fell oot upon a day That my guid lord cam fae the sea I dressed mysel' in rich attire As blythe as ony bird on tree
I took my young son in my airms My Lord he hailed me courteoslie: I'm blythe to see ye, my dear lass But whase is that bairn at your knee?
She turnd hersel' richt roond aboot O why think ye sae ill o me? Ye canna ... (your young bride) To ken ony ither man but thee
Ye lee, ye lee, my lady gay And black's the tongue that spak the lee I never got you with a bairn While I was sailing on the sea
O Warriston, ye acted ill Tae lift your hand tae your ain lady He struck her till the blood ran doon And cursed his bairn maist bitterly
Sair she grat as she gaed hame And O the sault tear blint her ee Her faither's Jock ill counselled her It was to gar her lord tae dee
The nourice she took the deed in hand And ... I wat her fee she won She cast the knot and drew the (nus?) That killed the Laird o' Warriston
Word has gane through bower and ha And word has gane to Edinborough toon That the lassie's killed her ain dear Lord Aye, killed the Laird o' Warriston
O tie my kirchie roond my face Let no the sun upon it shine And tak me tae yon heading hill Strike aff this dowie head o mine
They're taen her oot when nicht did fall Nor sun nor moon on her did shine They've taen her tae yon heading-hill And headed her baith neat and fine
O Warriston, O Warriston Wi yer gear an' gowd an' pride an' a' ... And your bonnie lady's cruel doonfall