66 'Mony a ane for him makes mane, But nane sall ken where he is gane; O'er his white-banes, when they are bare, The wind sall blaw for evermair." MOTHERWELL'S COPY. THERE were twa corbies sat on a tree, "As I sat on the deep sea sand, I saw a fair ship nigh at land ; I waved my wings, I beat my beak, "Come, I will show ye a sweeter sight, "His hound is to the hunting gane, "Ye shall sit on his white hause-bane, "O! cauld and bare his bed will be, Annie o' Lochryan. There are various versions of this beautiful and affecting ballad, which appear in the collections under the headings of "The Lass of Lochryan," "Fair Annie of Lochryan," "Lord Gregory," and the one here adopted. It was first printed, in an imperfect state, by Herd, afterwards it appeared in a more complete form in Scott's Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. Sir Walter's rendering represents Lord Gregory as confined by fairy charms in an enchanted castle; but Jamieson states that he heard the ballad chanted in Morayshire, and that no mention was made of enchantment or fairy charms. Burns and Dr. Wolcot (the well-known Peter Pindar), wrote each a song for Thomson's collection, entitled "Lord Gregory," founded on the subject of the present ballad. Lochryan is a beautiful but wild and secluded bay, which projects from the Irish Channel into Wigtonshire, in Galloway; and along the coast may been seen the ruins of various castles, such as the one described in the ballad. The following is Jamieson's version, slightly altered and amended :— "O WHA will shoe my bonnie foot? "And wha will kame my yellow hair Wi' a new-made siller kame; And wha will be father to my young bairn "Your father'll shoe your bonnie foot, Your mother glove your hand ; Your sister lace your middle jimp Wi' a new-made London band. "Your brother will kame your yellow hair, Wi' a new-made siller kame; And the King o' Heaven will father your bairn Till Lord Gregory come hame." "O gin I had a bonny ship, And men to sail wi' me, Her father's gi'en her a bonny ship, She hadna been on the sea sailing, Till landed has her bonny ship, Near to her true love's door. The nicht was dark, the wind blew cauld, And the bairn that was in her twa arms Fu' sair began to greet. Lang stood she at her true love's door, At length up gat his fause mother, "O it is Annie of Lochryan, Your love come ower the sea, "Awa', awa', ye ill woman, Ye're no come here for gude; Ye're but a witch, or a vile warlock, Or mermaid o' the flude !" "I'm nae a witch, nor vile warlock, But I am Annie o' Lochryan, "Gin ye be Annie o' Lochryan,` What token can you gie that e'er "O dinna ye mind, love Gregory, When we sate at the wine, How we changed the napkins frae our necks, It's no sae lang sin'syne? "And yours was gude, and gude enough, But nae sae gude as mine; For yours was o' the cambric clean, "And dinna ye mind, love Gregory, As we twa sate at dine, How we changed the rings frae our fingers, And I can show thee thine? "And yours was gude, and gude eneugh, Yet nae sae gude as mine; For yours was o' the gude red gowd, "Sae open the door, love Gregory, Open the door, I pray, For thy young son is in my arms, And he'll be dead ere day!" "Awa', awa', ye ill woman, Gae frae my door for shame; "O hae ye gotten anither fair love, O hooly, hooly, gaed she back, And sair, sair did she weep. "Tak' doun, tak' doun the mast o' gowd, Set up the mast o' tree; It ill sets a forsaken lady, To sail sae gallantlie! "Tak' doun, tak' doun the sails o' silk, Set up the sails o' skin; Ill sets the outside to be gay, When there's sic grief within." Lord Gregory started frae his sleep, "I dreamt a dream this nicht, mither, "I dreamt that Annie o' Lochryan, The flower o' a' her kin, Was standing mournin' at my door, And nane would let her in." |