It fell upon a Wednesday Brown Robyn's men went to sea, But they saw neither moon nor sun, Nor starlight with their ee. "We'll cast kevels us amang, See what the unhappy man may be": The kevel fell on Brown Robyn, The master-man was hee. "It is nae wonder," said Brown Robyn, "Altho I dinna thrive; (For if the deidly sins be seven, Befallen me hae five.) "But tie me to a plank o wude, And throw me in the sea; And if I sink, ye may bid me sink, But if I swim, lat me bee." They've tyed him to a plank o wude, And thrown him in the sea; He didna sink, tho they bade him sink; He swimd, and they lat him be -- He hadna been into the sea An hour but barely three, Till by and came Our Blessed Lady, Her dear young son her wi. "Will ye gang to your men again? Or will ye gang wi me? Will ye gang to the high heavens, Wi my dear son and me?" "I winna gang to my men again, For they would be feared at mee; But I woud gang to the high heavens, Wi thy dear son and thee." "It's for nae honour ye did to me, Brown Robyn. It's for nae guid ye did to mee; But a' is for your fair confession You've made upon the sea." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...OF THE WARS IN IRELAND by JOHN HARRINGTON TALES OF A WAYSIDE INN: THE FIRST DAY: ROBERT OF SICILY by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW THE SPIRIT AND THE CUP by A. E. ANDERSON TWO GRANDMOTHERS by IRENE ARCHER SAINT MAY: A CITY LYRIC by JOSEPH ASHBY-STERRY SONNET TO A FRIEND by BERNARD BARTON IN MEMORY OF AGOSTINO ISOLA, OF CAMBRIDGE, WHO DIED 1797 by MATILDA BARBARA BETHAM-EDWARDS |