Misalliance is a common ballad theme. Generally it is a matter of social disparity, more rarely a difference in the age of a couple. In this Scots ballad, it is nationality which is at issue and one could search through the entire Child canon without finding anything to equal its fierce anti-English sentiments. The fearful death of the heroine at the hand of her brother is by no means far-fetched: death by fire was, it seems, the regular penalty for incontinence in an unmarried woman. There may have been no actual law to that effect but every country in Europe has a stock of songs and tales dealing with this form of punishment.
lyrics
The young men o' the north country
Hae a' a-coortin' gene,
To win the love o' Lady Maisry,
But o' them she would hae nane,
They hae coorted Lady Maisry
Wi' brooches and rings,
And they hae socht her, Lady Maisry,
Wi' a' kinds o' things.
And they hae socht her, Lady Maisry,
Frae her faither and her mither;
They hae socht her, Lady Maisry
Fae her sister and her brither.
A' you young men, haud your tongues, she said,
And think nae mair on me;
For I've gi'en my love to an English Lord
And he's gi'en his to me.
Her faither's kitchie-boy was there
He was stannin' close at hand,
And he's gone tae her brither
As fast as he could gang.
Is my faither and my mither weel,
And how fare my brithers three?
Whit news o' my sister, Maisry,
Whit news hae ye brocht to me?
Your faither and your mither's weel
And your brithers weel are farin'
But your sister, Lady Maisry,
She gangs big wi' bairn.
He's gene tae his sister's bower
Filled wi' muckle dule and care;
And he saw her, Lady Maisry,
Kaimin' doon her yellow hair.
When he was in her bower
And his foot was on the floor,
He said, They tell me, sister Maisry
That you've become a whore.
Wha's the faither o' that bairn, he said,
That ye sae big are wi'?
Wha's the faither o' that bairn?
Come tell the truth to me!
O pardon me, my brither,
And the truth I'll tell to thee.
My bairn is tae an English lord
And he's gi'en his troth to me.
Could ye no' hae gotten lords enough
Into your ain country,
That ye've played the whore wi' an English dog
And brocht sic shame tae me.
O, whaur is a' my merry men
That took baith meat and fee?
Gae pu' the thistle and the thorn
To burn this vile whore wi'.
O, whaur will I get a bonnie boy
To help me in my need,
To rin to my love, William,
And bid him Come wi' speed.
Then oot and spak a bonnie boy,
Stood at her brither'a knee;
O, I would rin your errand,
Owre a' the warld for thee.
When he cam' tae the broken brigs
He bent his bow and swam,
When he cam' tae green grass growin',
Sat doon his foot and ran.
When he cam' tae Lord William's castle,
He lightly leap' the wall,
Ere the porter cam' runnin' tae the gate,
That lad he was in the ha'.
O, is my biggin broken, boy,
Or is my towers won? of
Or is my lady lighter
O' a daughter or a son?
Your biggin isnae broken, sir,
Nor is your towers won;
But your bonnie Lady Maisry
For you this day maun burn.
O, saddle me the black, the black,
Or saddle me the broon;
O, saddle me the fastest horse
That e'er rode through the toon.
When he was near a mile awa',
She heard his horse sneeze;
Build the fire up, my fause brither,
For it's no' yet tae my knees.
And when he lichted at the gate
She heard his bridle ring;
Build the fire up, my fause brither,
For it's no' yet tae my chin.
Build the fire up, my fause brither.
Build the fire up tae me;
For I see my William comin'
And he'll soon build it up for thee.
O, gin my hands had been loose, my Willie,
Sae hard as they are bound.
I would hae turned me frae the fire, love,
Add cast oot your young son.
I'll gar burn for you, my Maisry
Your faither and your mither:
I'll burn for you, my Maisry,
Your sister and your brither.
I'll gar burn for you, my Maisry,
The chief o' a' your kin;
And the last fire that I come tae,
Mysel' I will cast in.
This site is maintained by the MacColl family, aiming to make Ewan's catalogue available to download.
Ewan MacColl is
known to most as a songwriter and singer, but he was also of significant influence in the worlds of theatre and radio broadcasting. His art reached huge numbers through the folk clubs, greater numbers through his recordings and untold millions through the radio....more
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