Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ROSE THE RED AND WHITE LILY, by ANONYMOUS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ROSE THE RED AND WHITE LILY, by                    
First Line: O rose the red and white lily
Last Line: Gin she this sight did see!
Subject(s): Flowers;lilies;marriage;roses; Weddings;husbands;wives


O Rose the Red and White Lily,
Their mother dear was dead,
And their father married an ill woman
Wish'd them twa little guede.
Yet she had twa as fu' fair sons
As e'er brake manis bread,
And the tane of them lo'ed her White Lily
An' the tither loo'd Rose the Red.
O biggit ha' they a bigly bow'r
And strawn it o'er wi' san',
And there was mair mirth i' the Ladies' bow'r
Than in a' their father's lan'.
But out it spake their step-mother
Wha stood a little foreby:
I hope to live and play the prank
Sal gar your loud sang ly.
She 's call'd upon her eldest son:
Come here, my son, to me;
It fears me sair, my eldest son,
That ye maun sail the sea.
Gin it fear you sair, my Mither dear,
Your bidding I maun dee,
But be never war to Rose the Red
Than ye ha' been to me.
O had your tongue, my eldest son,
For sma' sal be her part;
You'll nae get a kiss o' her comely mouth
Gin your very fair heart should break.
She 's call'd upon her youngest son:
Come here, my son, to me;
It fears me sair, my youngest son,
That ye maun sail the sea.
Gin it fear you sair, my mither dear,
Your bidding I maun dee,
But be never war to White Lily
Than ye ha' been to me.
O haud your tongue, my youngest son,
For sma' sall be her part;
You'll ne'er get a kiss o' her comely mouth
Tho' your very fair heart should break.
When Rose the Red and White Lily
Saw their twa loves were gane,
Then stopped ha' they their loud, loud sang
And tane up the still mournin;
And their Step-mother stood listnin' by
To hear the ladies m[ane].
Then out it spake her White Lily:
My sister, we'll be gane;
Why should we stay in Barnsdale
To waste our youth in pain?
Then cutted ha' they their green cloathing
A little below their knee,
And sae ha' they the[ir] yallow hair
A little aboon the[ir] bree;
An' they've doen them to haely chapel
Was christened by Our Lady.
There ha' they chang'd their ain twa names
Sae far frae ony town,
An' the tane o' them hight Sweet Willy
An' the tither o' them Roge the Roun'.
Between this twa a vow was made,
An' they sware it to fulfil,
That at three blasts o' bugle-horn
She'd come her sister till.
Now Sweet Willy 's gane to the kingis court
Her true love for to see,
An' Roge the Roun' to good green wood
Brown Robin's man to be.
As it fell out upon a day
They a' did put the stane;
Full seven foot ayont them a'
She gar'd the puttin-stane gang.
She lean'd her back against an oak
And ga'e a loud Ohone,
Then out it spake him Brown Robin:
But that 's a woman's moan!
O ken ye by my red rose lip?
Or by my yallow hair?
Or ken ye by my milk white breast?
For ye never saw it bare.
I ken no by your red rose lip
Nor by your yallow hair,
Nor ken I by your milk white breast
For I never saw it bare;
But come to your bow'r whaever sae likes
Will find a lady there.
O gin ye come to my bow'r within
Thro' fraud, deceit, or guile,
Wi' this same bran' that 's in my han'
I swear I will the[e] kill.
But I will come thy bow'r within
An' spear nae leave, quoth he:
An' this same bran' that 's i' my han'
I sall ware back on the[e].
About the tenth hour of the night
The Ladie's bower-door was broken,
An' e'er the first hour of the day
The bonny knave bairn was gotten.
When days were gane and months were run
The lady took travailing,
And sair she cry'd for a bow'r woman
For to wait her upon.
Then out it spake him Brown Robin:
Now what needs a' this din?
For what cou'd any woman do
But I cou'd do the same?
'T was never my mither's fashion, she says,
Nor sall it ever be mine,
That belted knights shou'd e'er remain
Where Ladies dree'd their pine.
But ye take up that bugle horn
An' blaw a blast for me;
I ha' a brother i' the kingis court
Will come me quickly ti.
O gin ye ha' a brither on earth
That ye love better nor me,
Ye blaw the horn yoursel, he says,
For ae blast I winna gie.
She 's set the horn till her mouth
And she 's blawn three blasts sae shrill;
Sweet Willy heard i' the kingis court
And came her quickly till.
Then up it started Brown Robin,
An' an angry man was he:
There comes nae man this bow'r within
But first must fight wi' me.
O they hae fought that bow'r within
Till the sun was gaing down,
Till drops o' blude frae Rose the Red
Came hailing to the groun'.
She lean'd her back against the wa',
Says, Robin, let a' be,
For it is a lady born and bred
That 's foughten sae well wi' thee.
O seven foot he lap a back,
Says, Alas, and wae is me;
I never wisht in a' my life
A woman's blude to see;
An' a' for the sake of ae fair maid
Whose name was White Lilly.
Then out it spake her White Lily
An' a hearty laugh leugh she:
She 's lived wi' you this year an' mair
Tho' ye kentna it was she.
Now word has gane thro' a' the lan'
Before a month was done,
That Brown Robin's man in good green wood
Had born a bonny young son.
The word has gane to the kingis court
An' to the king himsel:
Now by my fay, the king could say,
The like was never heard tell!
Then out it spake him bold Arthur
An' a hearty laugh leugh he:
I trow some may has play'd the loon
An' fled her ain country.
Bring me my steed, then cry'd the king
My bow and arrows keen;
I'l ride mysel to [the] good green wood
An' see what 's to be seen.
An 't please your grace, said Bold Arthur,
My liege, I'll gang you wi',
An' try to fin' a little foot page
That 's stray'd awa frae me.
O they've hunted i' the good green wood
The buck but an' the rae,
An' they drew near Brown Robin's bow'r
About the close of day.
Then out it spake the king in hast,
Says, Arthur, look an' see
Gin that be no your little foot page
That leans against yon tree.
Then Arthur took his bugle horn
An' blew a blast sae shrill;
Sweet Willy started at the sound
An' ran him quickly till.
O wanted ye your meat, Willy,
Or wanted ye your fee?
Or gat ye ever an angry word,
That ye ran awa frae me?
I wanted nought, my master dear,
To me ye ay was good;
I came but to see my ae brother
That wons in this green wood.
Then out it spake the king again,
Says, Bonny boy, tell to me
Wha lives into yon bigly bow'r
Stands by yon green oak tree?
O pardon me, says Sweet Willy,
My liege, I dare no tell;
An' I pray you go no near that bow'r
For fear they do you fell.
O haud your tongue, my bonny boy,
For I winna be said nay;
But I will gang that bow'r within,
Betide me weel or wae.
They've lighted off their milk white steeds
An' saftly enter'd in,
An' there they saw her White Lily
Nursing her bonny young son.
Now, by the rood, the king cou'd say,
This is a comely sight;
I trow, instead of a forrester's man,
This is a lady bright!
Then out it spake her Rose the Red
An' fell low down on her knee:
O pardon us, my gracious liege,
An' our story I'll tell thee.
Our father was a wealthy lord
That won'd in Barnsdale,
But we had a wicked step-mother
That wrought us meickle bale.
Yet she had twa as fu' fair sons
As ever the sun did see,
An' the tane o' them loo'd my sister dear
An' the tither say'd he loo'd me.
Then out it spake him Bold Arthur
As by the king he stood:
Now, by the faith o' my body,
This shou'd be Rose the Red!
Then in it came him Brown Robin
Frae hunting o' the deer,
But whan he saw the king was there
He started back for fear.
The king has ta'en him by the hand
An' bade him naithing dread;
Says, Ye maun leave the good green wood,
Come to the court wi' speed.
Then up he took White Lily's son
An' set him on his knee;
Says, Gin ye live to wield a bran'
My bowman ye sall bee.
The king he sent for robes of green
An' girdles o' shining gold;
He gart the ladies be array'd
Most comely to behold.
They've done them unto Mary Kirk
An' there gat fair wedding,
An' fan the news spread o'er the lan'
For joy the bells did ring.
Then out it spake her Rose the Red,
An' a hearty laugh leugh she:
I wonder what would our step-dame say
Gin she this sight did see!





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