May Colyean- Mary Macqueen (Renf) 1825 Crawfurd
[From: "Andrew Crawfurd's collection of ballads and songs" volume 2, by Andrew Crawfurd, E. B. Lyle - 1975. Lyle's notes follow,
R. Matteson 2018]
Page xxxi notes:
Twenty-two of the songs recorded from Mary Macqueen are Child ballads: 1-3, 5, 9-13, 15-16, 20, 25, 30-32, 34, 37, 40 and 44-46. All are separate variants except 34 May Colyean which is similar to the D text of Child 4 Lady Isabel and the Elf-Knight, a chapbook form of the ballad. May Colyean is closest to Dd The historical ballad of May Culzean (Child 1.485, 488-9) which occurs in a collection of chapbooks printed in Ayr in the National Library of Scotland (LC 2790:3 Ayr n.d. pp.)
MAY COLYEAN sung by Mary Macqueen of Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire about 1824.
1 Hae ye no heard o fause Sir John
That livit in the north countrie
How he betrayit eight damsels fair
And drownit them in the sea
2 Now he's awa to May Collean
She was her father's heir
The greatest beawtie o the land
I solemnlie declare
3 Thou art the darling o my heart
He said to fair May Collyein
Thou far exceeds the beawties aw
That ever I hae seen
4 And I'm a knicht o wealth an micht
O town-lands twenty three
And ye'se be lady o them aw
Fair May an ye gang wi me
5 Excuse me then she said Sir John
To wad I am owr young
Unless I hae my parents' leave
Wi you I daur na gang
6 But he's tane a charm frae affhis arm
And stack it in hir sleive
And he has gart her follow him
Without her parents' leave
7 O gold and jewels she has tane
Wi her five hundred pound
And the brawest horse her father had
She's tane to ride upon
8 So merrilie they rode alang
Made neither stop nor stay
Until they came to that fatal place
That's callit Benon's Bay
9 Licht down licht doun fair May Colyein
Licht doun and speak to me
For here I hae drounit eight damsels fair
An the nynt ane ye sall be
10 Cast aff cast aff your jewels fine
Sae costlie rich and brave
For they're owr costlie and owr gude
To rot in the sea wave
11 Her jewels fine she then cast aff
And thus she made her her moan
Hae mercy on a virgin young
I pray thee sweet Sir John
12 Cast aff cast aff thy gay mantiel
And smock o Holland lawn
For they are owr costlie and owr gude
To rot in the sea saun
13 Weil turn thee round I pray Sir John
And see the leaf flie owr the tree
For it neir befitted a book learned man
A naked lady to see
14 But as fause Sir John did turn him round
To see the leaf flee owr the tree
She gripped him in her arms smaw
And flang him in the sea
15 Now lie you there ye fause Sir John
Whare ye thought to leave me
Ye wad hae drounit me as naked as I was
But ye hae got my claes frae me
16 Her jewels costlie, rich, and brave
She straught put on again
She lichtlie springs upon her steid
And leads him by the mane
17 Sae aff she rade without fear or dread
As hard as she could hie
And she reached her fathers lofty bower
Before the clock strack three
18 And f1rst she met the stable grume
He was her waiting man
And when he hard his lady's voice
He ran wi cap in hand
19 Where hae ye been fair May Colyein
Wha owes that dapple gray
O that's a fundling she replied
That I got by the way
20 Then out bespack the grein parrot
And said fair May Colyein
O what hae ye dune wi yon braw knicht
That gade wi ye the strein
21 O haud your tung my pretty parrot
And I'se be kind to thee
For whare ye gat For whare ye gat ae handful o groats
My parrot ye'se get thrie
22 Then out bespak her father dear
In the chammer where he lay
What is it ails my pretty parrot
He speaks sae lang ere day
23 There cam a cat into my cage
Had nearlie worried me
And I was calland on May Colycin
To cum and set me free
24 And first she telled her father dear
O the deid she had dune
And likewise to her mother dear
Concerning the fause Sir John
25 So aff they gade wi ae consent
By the dawning o the day
Until they cam to the fatal place
And there his corpse it lay
26 His body tall by that grit fall
Was dashed to and fro
And the gold ring that he had own
Was broke in pieces two
27 And they hae taken up his corpse
To yonner pleasant grein
And there they hurried fause Sir John
For fear he wad be seen