I Will Set My Fine Ship- Spence (Fyvie) 1906 Greig A
[My date, Grieg collected several songs from Spence in April 1906. From: The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection - Volume 4 edited by Patrick N. Shuldham-Shaw, Emily B. Lyle- 1981. Songs collected by Gavin Greig (1856–1914), and the minister James Bruce Duncan (1848-1917).
R. Matteson 2016]
A. I Will Set My Fine Ship in Order- Collected by Gavin Grieg in April, 1906; Sung by J. W. Spence of Rosecroft, Fyvie. Spence learned his songs from his father W. Spence of Peterhead and his sister Miss H. Spence of New Deer also sang some ballads.
1. I will set my fine ship in order,
I will sail her into the sea,
I'll sail to some foreign nation
To see if my love will fancy me.
2. I sail-ed east and I sail-ed west,
And I sailed far, far seekin' land,
Until I came to my true love's window,
And knock-ed loudly and would be in.
3. Who is that at my bow[er] window,
That knocks so loudly and would be in?
It's I, it's I, your ain true lover,
I hope ye'll rise up and let me in.
4. Few true lovers I have without,
And it is as few I have within,
Except it be my true Love, Johnnie,
And I'm sure ye are nae him.
5. Go ye love and ask your father,
If he be willing that ye my bride be,
And if he denies thee come back and tell me,
For it is the last night I'll visit thee.
6. My father's in his chamber writing,
And setting down his merchandise;
And he has a letter in his pocket,
Which greatly speaks much to your dispraise.
7. To my dispraise, my bonnie lassie,
To my dispraise it cannot be,
For I never slighted thee nor yet denied you,
Till the last night you slighted me.
8 Go ye love and ask your mother,
If she be willing that ye my bride be,
And if she denies thee come back and tell me,
For it is the last night I'll visit thee.
9. My mother's in her closet sleeping,
The sounds of love she will not hear,
But quickly go, and court another,
And whispers softly in her ear.
10. Slowly, slowly this maid rose up,
And slowly put her clothing on,
But before she got her door unlocked
His ship was sailing and he was gone.