Lizie Wan- Herd (Scotland) 1776 Child A
A, first printed in Herd's Scottish Songs, ed. 1776, is here given from his manuscript copy.
Lizie Wan- Version A Child 51
Herd's Manuscripts, I, 151; stanzas 1-6, II, p. 78. Herd's Scottish Songs, 1776, I, 91.
1 Lizie Wan sits at her father's bower-door,
Weeping and making a mane,
And by there came her father dear:
'What ails thee, Lizie Wan?'
2 'I ail, and I ail, dear father,' she said,
'And I'll tell you a reason for why;
There is a child between my twa sides,
Between my dear billy and I.'
3 Now Lizie Wan sits at her father's bower-door,
Sighing and making a mane,
And by there came her brother dear:
'What ails thee, Lizie Wan?'
4 'I ail, I ail, dear brither,' she said,
'And I'll tell you a reason for why;
There is a child bewteen my twa sides,
Between you, dear billy, and I.'
5 'And hast thou tald father and mother o that?
And hast thou tald sae o me?'
And he has drawn his gude braid sword,
That hung down by his knee.
6 And he has cutted aff Lizie Wan's head,
And her fair body in three,
And he's awa to his mothers bower,
And sair aghast was he.
7 'What ails thee, what ails thee, Geordy Wan?
What ails thee sae fast to rin?
For I see by thy ill colour
Some fallow's deed thou hast done.'
8 'Some fallow's deed I have done, mother,
And I pray you pardon me;
For I've cutted aff my greyhound's head;
He wadna rin for me.'
9 'Thy greyhound's bluid was never sae red,
O my son Geordy Wan!
For I see by thy ill colour
Some fallow's deed thou hast done.'
10 'Some fallow's deed I hae done, mother,
And I pray you pardon me;
For I hae cutted aff Lizie Wan's head
And her fair body in three.'
11 'O what wilt thou do when thy father comes hame,
O my son Geordy Wan?'
'I'll set my foot in a bottomless boat,
And swim to the sea-ground.'
12 'And when will thou come hame again,
O my son Geordy Wan?'
'The sun and the moon shall dance on the green
That night when I come hame.'
________________
[Herd's Scottish Songs, 1776, I, p. 91]
Lizie Wan
LIZIE WAN sits at her father's bower door,
Weeping and making a mane,
And by there came her father dear,
What ails thee, Lizie Wan?
I ail, and I ail, dear father, she said,
And I'll tell you a reason for why,
There is a child between my twa sides,
Between my dear Billy and I.
Now Lizie Wan sits at her fathers bower door,
Sighing and making a mane,
And by there came her brother dear,
What ails thee, Lizie Wan?
I ail, I ail, dear brother, she said,
And I'll tell you a reason why,
There is a child between my twa sides,
Between you, dear Billy, and I.
And hast thou told father and mother of that,
And hast thou told sae o' me?
And he has drawn his gude braid sword,
That hang down by his knee.
And he has cutted off Lizie Wan's head,
And hir fair body in three,
And he's awa to his mother's bower,
And fair aghast was he.
What ails thee, what ails thee, Geordy Wan,
What ails thee sae fast to rin?
For I fee by thy ill colour,
Some fallow's deed thou hast done.
Some fallow's deed I have done mother,
And I pray you pardon me,
For I've cutted off my greyhound's head,
He wadnae rin for me.
Thy grayhound's bluid was never fae red,
O my son Geordy Wan,
For I fee by thy ill colour,
Some fallow's deed thou hast done.
Some fallow's deed I hae done mother,
And I pray you pardon me,
For I hae cutted off Lizie Wan's head,
And hir fair body in three.
O what will thou do when thy father comes hame,
O my son Geordy Wan ?
I'll set my foot in a bottomless boat,
And swim to the sea ground.
And when will thou come hame again,
O my son Geordy Wan,
The sun and the moon shall dance on the green,
That night when I come hame.