I Will Put My Ship- Mrs. Watt (Nwe Deer) c.1910 Greig G
[My date. From The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection - Volume 4; edited by Patrick N. Shuldham-Shaw, Emily B. Lyle - 1981. Collected in North Scotland in early 1900s by Gavin Greig (1856–1914), and the minister James Bruce Duncan 1848-1917).
R. Matteson 2016]
G. I Will Put My Ship In Order- Sung by Mrs. Watt of Whinhill, New Deer, collected by Gavin Greig, c. 1910.
1. It's I will put my ship in order,
And I will sail out owre the main,
I'll sail into some foreign country
To see what tidings I can bring hame.
2. I've sail-ed east and I've sail-ed west,
We sail-ed far, far seeking land,
Till i came to me true love's window
And rapped loudly and would be in.
3. "Who's that, who's that raps at my window
That raps so loudly and would be in,"
"It's I, it's I your true love Johnnie,
O rise, o rise and lat me in."
4. Few, few lovers have I out,
And as few have I in,
Unless it be my true love Johnnie,
And I'm weel sure love, that ye're nae him.
5. Oh then, oh then, go and ask your mother,
To see if she'll let ye my bride be,
If she deny ye'll come back and tell me,
It may be the last time I may visit thee.
6. My mother's in her chamber sleeping,
The knocks so loudly winna hear;
She bids you go love and court another
And whisper [her] slowly into her ear.
7. Oh then, oh then, go and ask your father,
To see if he'll let ye my bride be,
If he deny ye'll come back and tell me,
It may be the last time I may visit thee.
8. My father's in her chamber writing,
And setting down at this merchandise;
And in his hand he holds a letter,
It speaks much to your dispraise.
9. To my dispraise, my bonnie lovey,
To my dispraise, how can it be?
For I've never wronged or yet denied you,
And thice this night you've denied me.
10. Then up she rode, put on her clothes,
It was to let her true lovey in,
Before she got herself arrayed,
The ship was sailing oot owre the main.
11. Come back, come back, my bonnie lovey,
Come back, come back speak wi' me now
How could I come back, speak wi' ye,
And our ship sailing oot owre the main?
12. The fish may fly, love, the seas go dry, love
The rocks may moulder and weep the sand,
And husbandmen may forget their labour
So keep your love, until I return.