#A.# ‘The Fause Lover,’ Buchan’s MSS, I, 114; Buchan’s Ballads of the
North of Scotland, I, 268.
#B.# ‘The place where my love Johnny dwells,’ Christie’s Traditional
Ballad Airs, I, 144.
A young man is deserting one maid for another. The object of his new
fancy lives at a distance, and he is on his way to her. He is followed
by his old love from stage to stage; he repelling her, and she tenderly
remonstrating. His heart gradually softens; he buys her gifts from town
to town, and though each time he bids her go back, he ends with buying
her a wedding gown (ring) and marrying her.
Two pretty stanzas in #A#, 4, 5, seem not to belong to this story. The
inconstant youth would have been only too glad to have the faithful maid
look to other men, and gives her all liberty to do so. These two stanzas
are first found in Herd’s MSS, I, 53, and in Herd’s Ancient and Modern
Scottish Songs, 1776, II, 6, as follows:
False luve, and hae ye played me this,
In the simmer, mid the flowers?
I sall repay ye back agen,
In the winter, mid the showers.
Bot again, dear luve, and again, dear luve,
Will ye not turn again?
As ye look to ither women,
Sall I to ither men.
In a manuscript at Abbotsford, entitled Scottish Songs, 1795 (containing
pieces dated up to 1806), fol. 69, they stand thus:
False luve, and hae ye played me this,
In simmer amang the flowers?
I shall repay you back agen
In winter amang the showers.
Unless again, again, dear luve,
But if ye turn agen,
As ye look other women to,
Sall I to other men.
Scott has put these verses, a little varied, into Davie Gellatley’s
mouth, in the ninth chapter of ‘Waverley.’ The first, with a change,
occurs also in ‘The Gardener,’ No 219, #A# 7, #B# 15, #C# 3.
#A# is translated by Rosa Warrens, Schottische Volkslieder, p. 141, No
32; by Gerhard, p. 114.
* * * * *
A
<small>Buchan’s MSS, I, 114.</small>
1
A Fair maid sat in her bower-door,
Wringing her lily hands,
And by it came a sprightly youth,
Fast tripping oer the strands.
2
‘Where gang ye, young John,’ she says,
‘Sae early in the day?
It gars me think, by your fast trip,
Your journey’s far away.’
3
He turnd about wi surly look,
And said, What’s that to thee?
I’m gaen to see a lovely maid,
Mair fairer far than ye.
4
‘Now hae ye playd me this, fause love,
In simmer, mid the flowers?
I shall repay ye back again,
In winter, mid the showers.
5
‘But again, dear love, and again, dear love,
Will ye not turn again?
For as ye look to other women,
I shall to other men.’
6
‘Make your choice of whom you please,
For I my choice will have;
I’ve chosen a maid more fair than thee,
I never will deceive.’
7
But she’s kilt up her claithing fine,
And after him gaed she;
But aye he said, Ye’ll turn again,
Nae farder gae wi me.
8
‘But again, dear love, and again, dear love,
Will ye never love me again?
Alas for loving you sae well,
And you nae me again!’
9
The first an town that they came till,
He bought her brooch and ring;
And aye he bade her turn again,
And gang nae farder wi him.
10
‘But again, dear love, and again, dear love,
Will ye never love me again?
Alas for loving you sae well,
And you nae me again!’
11
The next an town that they came till,
He bought her muff and gloves;
But aye he bade her turn again,
And choose some other loves.
12
‘But again, dear love, and again, dear love,
Will ye never love me again?
Alas for loving you sae well,
And you nae me again!’
13
The next an town that they came till,
His heart it grew mair fain,
And he was as deep in love wi her
As she was ower again.
14
The next an town that they came till,
He bought her wedding gown,
And made her lady of ha’s and bowers,
Into sweet Berwick town.
* * * * *
B
Christie’s Traditional Ballad Airs, I, 144; from the recitation of a
woman born in Buchan.
1
The sun shines high on yonder hill,
And low on yonder town;
In the place where my love Johnny dwells,
The sun gaes never down.
2
‘O when will ye be back, bonny lad,
O when will ye be hame?’
‘When heather-hills are nine times brunt,
And a’ grown green again.’
3
‘O that’s ower lang awa, bonny lad,
O that’s ower lang frae hame;
For I’ll be dead and in my grave
Ere ye come back again.’
4
He put his foot into the stirrup
And said he maun go ride,
But she kilted up her green claithing
And said she woudna bide.
5
The firsten town that they came to,
He bought her hose and sheen,
And bade her rue and return again,
And gang nae farther wi him.
6
‘Ye likena me at a’, bonny lad,
Ye likena me at a’;’
‘It’s sair for you likes me sae weel
And me nae you at a’.’
7
The nexten town that they came to,
He bought her a braw new gown,
And bade her rue and return again,
And gang nae farther wi him.
8
The nexten town that they came to,
He bought her a wedding ring,
And bade her dry her rosy cheeks,
And he would tak her wi him.
9
‘O wae be to your bonny face,
And your twa blinkin een!
And wae be to your rosy cheeks!
They’ve stown this heart o mine.
10
‘There’s comfort for the comfortless,
There’s honey for the bee;
There’s comfort for the comfortless,
There’s nane but you for me.’
* * * * *
#A.#
9^1. first and: come.
11^1, 13^1. next and.
_Variations in_ Buchan’s Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 268.
5^4. Shall I.
6^1. your choose.
7^3. turn back.
7^4. gang.