I Will Set My Ship- Mrs. Finnie (Aber) 1907 Greig R
[My date, title. Single stanza of "I Will Put My Ship in Order" 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]
R. "I Will Set My Ship" - Sung by Mrs. Finnie of New Deer, c. 1907. Collected by Gavin Greig.
1. I will set my good ship in order,
And I will sail across the sea,
I'll gang sailing over to yonder border,
An' see gin my lovie minds on me.
2. We[1] sail-ed east, and we sail-ed west,
We sail-ed up and we sail-ed down,
Until I came to my love's bower window,
I rapp-ed loud and would fain be in.
3. "O Who is that who raps at my bow window,
At such a late hour o' the night?"
"It's me, it's I, it's your ain dear Johnnie,
O rise, o rise, love, and lat me in.
4. I hae nae lovers here without,
And as few lovers hae I within,
I hae nae lovers but my ain dear Johnnie,
And I'm weel sure that ye're nae him.
5. Go ask your father if he will let you
And if he'll let you my bride you'll be,
But if he denies you return and tell me,
It will be the last time I'll visit thee.
6 My father's in his office writing,
He's setting down his merchandise;
He has got a letter in his coat pocket,
That speaks greatly to your dispraise.
7. To my dispraise love, to my dispraise,
To my dispraise love, how could it be?
For I never slighted nor denied you;
Until this night you've denied me.
8 Go ask your mother if she will let you
And if she'll let you, you'll my bride be,
But if he denies you return and tell me,
Twill be the last time I'll visit thee.
9. My mother's in her chamber sleeping,
The sweet notes of love, [and] she will not hear
But you may go love and court another,
And whisper gently in her ear.
10. It's up she 'rose, putting on her clothes,
It was to let her true love in,
But ere she had the door unlocked,
The ship was sailing upon the main.
11. Come back, come back, my true love Johnnie,
Come back, come back and speak to me,
For I never slighted nor yet denied thee
Until this night you've denied me.
12. O how could I come back, come back love
For how could I come back and speak to thee?
For the ships she's sailing, the high winds blowing
And I am bound for America.
13. The fish may fly, and the seas gang dry,
And the rocks may melter down wi' the sun,
And crow may turn into a white turtle,
Before that I do return.
1. originally "he"