There was a knicht riding frae the east, @3Jennifer gentle an' rosemaree.@1 Wha had been wooing at monie a place. @3As doo flies over the mulberry tree.@1 He came unto a widow's door. And speird whare her three dochters were. The auldest ane's to the washing gane, The second's to a baking gane. The youngest ane's to a wedding gane, And it will be nicht or she be hame. He sat him doun upon a stane, Till thir three lasses came tripping hame. The auldest ane she let him in, And pinned the door wi' a siller pin. The second ane she made his bed, And laid soft pillows unto his head. The youngest ane was bauld and bricht, And she was to lye wi' this unco knicht. 'Gin ye will answer me questions ten, This morn ye sall be made my ain. 'O what is heigher nor the tree? And what is deeper nor the sea? 'Or what is heavier nor the lead? And what is better nor the breid? 'O what is whiter nor the milk? Or what is safter nor the silk? 'Or what is sharper nor a thorn? Or what is louder nor a horn? 'Or what is greener nor the grass? Or what is waur nor a woman was? 'O heaven is higher nor the tree, And hell is deeper nor the sea. 'O sin is heavier nor the lead, The blessing's better than the bread. 'The snaw is whiter nor the milk, And the down is safter nor the silk. 'Hunger is sharper nor a thorn, And shame is louder nor a horn. 'The pies are greener nor the grass, And Clootie's waur nor a woman was. As sune as she the fiend did name, @3Jennifer gentle an' rosemaree.@1 He flew awa in a blazing flame. @3As doo flies over the mulberry tree.@1 | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SONNET TO HIS FRIEND R.L. IN PRAISE OF MUSIQUE AND POETRIE by RICHARD BARNFIELD AMORETTI: 68 by EDMUND SPENSER FULL-CIRCLE by MAXWELL ANDERSON THE CATERPILLAR by ANNA LETITIA BARBAULD AFTERWARDS by EDMUND CHARLES BLUNDEN BURNS by ROBERT SEYMOUR BRIDGES |