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TAMLANE, by                    
First Line: O I forbid you maidens all
Last Line: Ere you'd been won away
Subject(s): Fairies;halloween;supernatural; Elves


"O I forbid you, maidens all
That wear gowd on your hair,
To come, or go by Carterhaugh,
For young Tamlane is there."

Then up and spake her, fair Janet,
The fairest of all her kin:
"I'll come and go to Carterhaugh
And ask no leave of him."

She's prinked herself, and preened herself,
And kilted up her gown,
And she's away to Carterhaugh,
By the low light of the moon.

She had not pulled a rose, a rose,
A rose but barely one,
When up there starts the young Tamlane,
Says, "Lady, let alone.

"What makes you pull the rose, Janet,
What makes you break the tree,
What makes you come to Carterhaugh
Without the leave of me?"

"Well may I pull the rose," she says,
"And ask no leave of thee;
For Carterhaugh is my own,
My daddy gave it me."

He's ta'en her by the milk-white hand,
And by the grass-green sleeve,
He's led her to the fairy ground
Of her he asked no leave.

"O if my love were an earthly knight,
As he is an elfin bold,
I would not change my love," she says,
"For aught the world can hold.

"But tell me, tell me true, Tamlane,
For His sake that died on tree,
O were you ever in holy church,
Or got you Christiantie?"

"A Word I will not lie, Janet,
The truth I'll tell to thee,
They christened me in holy church
As well as they did thee.

"Roxburgh he was my grandfather,
Took me with him to bide;
And once it fell upon a day,
As hunting I did ride,

"There came a wind out of the north,
A sharp wind and a snell,
A dead sleep it came over me,
And from my horse I feel;
And the Queen of Fairies she took me
In yon green hill to dwell.

"And never would I tire, Janet,
In fairy-land to dwell;
But aye, at every seven years,
They pay a tithe to hell;
And I'm so fir and full of flesh,
I'm feared 'twill be mysell.

"But this night is Hallowe'en, Janet,
This morn is Hallowday,
Then win me, win me, if you will,
For well I know you may.

"This night it is good Hallowe'en,
When fairy folk do ride,
And they that would their true-love win,
At Miles Cross they must bide."

"But how shall I thee know, Tamlane,
And how shall I win thee,
Among so many unearthly knights,
The like I ne'er did see?"

"The first troop that passes be,
Say nay, and let them go;
The next troop that passes by,
Say nay, and do right so;
The third troop that passes by,
It's there you shall me know.

"First let pass the black, Janet,
And then let pass the brown,
But take a trip of the milk-white steed,
And pull the rider down.

"For some ride on the black, Janet,
And some ride on the brown,
But I ride on the milk-white steed,
A gold star in my crown;
Because I was christened knight
They gave me this reknown.

"My right hand will be gloved, Janet,
My left hand will be be bare,
And these the tokens I give thee,
No doubt I will be there.

"You'll pull me from the milk-white steed,
And let the bridle falll,
The Queen of Elfin she'll cry out
'He's won amongst us all.'"

"They'll turn me in your arms, Janet,
A lizard and a snake,
But hole me fast, nor let me go,
And I shall be your mate.

"They'll turn me in your arms, Janet,
A hot iron in the fire,
But hold me fast, nor let me go,
To be your heart's desire.

They'll shape me in your arms, Janet,
A swan, likewise a dove,
But hold me fast, nor let me go,
To be your own true love.

"And last they'll shape me in your arms
A mother-naked man;
Cast your green mantle over me,
And so I shall be won."

She's prinked herself, and preened herself,
And kilted up her gown,
And she's away to Miles Cross,
Between twelve hours and one.

About the dead hour of the night,
She heard the bridles ring;
And Janet was as glad of that
As any earthly thing.

And first went by the black, thre black,
And then went by the brown,
But fast she gripped the milk-white steed,
And pulled the rider down.

She pulled him from the milk-white steed,
And let the bridle fall,
And up there rose the unearthly cry,
"He's won amonst us all!"

They shaped him in Janet's arms,
A lizard and a snake,
But aye she grips and holds him fast,
To be her heart's desire.

They shaped him in her arms then
A swan, likewise a dove;
She held him fast in every shape,
To be her own true love.

They shaped him in her arms at last
A mother-naked man;
She cast hew mantle over him,
And so her love she won.

Up then spake the Queen of Fairies,
Out of a bush of broom:
"She that has ransomed young Tamlane,
Has gotten a stately groom."

Up then spake the Queen of Fairies,
And an angry woman was she,
"She's taken away the bonniest knight
In all my company!

"But had I known yestereen, Tamlane,
What this night I have known,
I'd have taken out thy heart of flesh,
Put in a heart of stone.

"But had I known, Tamlane," she says,
"A lady would ransom thee,
I'd have taken out thy two grey eyes,
Put in two eyes of tree.

"And had I but the wit, yestereen,
That I have bought this day,
I'd have paid my tithe seven times to hell,
Ere you'd been won away."







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