O Willie's ta'en ower the raging faem
He's woo'd a wife & he's bocht her hame
He's woo'd her for her lang yellow hair
But his mother wrocht her muckle care
And muckle dolour gar'd her dree
For light o' bairn his lady canna be
For light o' bairn she canna be
And aye she lies in her bower wi' pain
And Willie mourns his lady a' in vain
And Willie mourns her a' in vain
So Willie's tae his wicked mither gane
The vilest witch o' womenkind
And says, "My lady has a bonnie cup
Wi' gowd & silver set aboot"
"This goodly gift it shall be yer ain
Gin ye let her be lighter o' her bairn
Gin ye let her be lighter o' bairn"
"O, light o' bairn she ne'er will be
Nor in her bower will shine sae bricht for ye
Nor in her bower will shine for thee"
"but she will die & slowly turn tae clay
You will wed wi' anither may"
"O, anither may I'll never wed
Anither may shall never share my bed
I'd rather die" Young Willie said
So Willie's tae his mither yet again
That vilest witch o' womenkind
And says "My lady has a milk white steed
Like o' it's no' in the lands o' Leed"
"At lika tett o' that horse's mane
Hangs fifty bonnie siller bells & ten
Fifty siller bells & ten"
"This goodly gift it shall be yer ain
Gin ye let her be lighter o' her bairn
Gin ye let her be light o' bairn"
"O, light o' bairn she ne'er will be
Nor in her bower will shine sae bricht for ye
Nor in her bower will shine for thee"
"But she will die & slowly turn tae clay
And you will wed wi' anither may"
"O, anither may I'll never wed
Anither may shall never share my bed
I'd rather die" young Willie said
So Willie's tae the wise old Billy Blind
And aye he spoke oot in good time
He says "Go down intae the market place
There ye'll buy a loaf of wax"
"And shape it bairn & bairnie-like
And in ti's heid twa gla**en e'en ye'll put
And in it's heid twa e'en ye'll put"
"And you will tae yer wicked mither gae
Invite her tae yer son's christenin"
"But ye must stand a way forbye
And listen weel what yer wicked mither says
Listen weel what she does says"
So Willie's tae his wicked mither gane
Invited her tae his son's christenin
And he did stand a wee forbye
And listened weel what his wicked mither said
Listened weel what she did say
"And wha has ta'en oot the kaims o' care
That hung amang yon lady's hair"
"And wha has k**ed the Master Kid
That ran beneath that bonnie lady's bed
That ran beneath that lady's bed"
"And wha has ta'en doon the bush o' woodbine
That hung atween that lady's bower & mine
That hung atween her bower & mine"
"And wha has loos'd her left foot shee
So light o' bairn this lady then may be
So light o' bairn this lady be"
Then Willie's ta'en oot the nine & witchen knots
That were amang his lady's locks
And Willie's ta'en oot the kaims o' care
That hung amang his lady's hair
And Willie's k**ed the Master Kid
That ran beneath his bonnie lady's bed
That ran ran beneath his lady's bed
And Willie's ta'en doon the bush o' woodbine
That hung atween his lady's bower sae fine
Hung atween her bower sae fine
Then Willie's looosened his lady's leften shee
That light o' bairn she then might be
And when & a' these things were done
His lady's brocht forth untae him a son
His lady's brocht forth a bonnie son