7 The Queen of Elfland’s Nourice
I
‘I heard a cow low, a bonnie cow low,
And a cow low down in yon glen:
Lang, lang will my young son greet94
Or his mither bid him come ben95!
II
‘I heard a cow low, a bonnie cow low,
And a cow low down in yon fauld:
Lang, lang will my young son greet
Or his mither take him frae cauld!’
III
[The Queen of Elfan’s nourice96
She sits and sings her lane]
‘Waken, Queen of Elfan
And hear your nourice moan.’—
IV
‘O moan ye for your meat,
Or moan ye for your fee,
Or moan ye for the ither bounties
That ladies are wont to gie?’—
V
‘I moan na for my meat,
Nor moan I for my fee,
Nor moan I for the ither bounties
That ladies are wont to gie.
VI
[‘But I heard a bonnie cow
Low down in yonder fauld]
And I moan for my young son
I left in four nights auld.
VII
‘I moan na for my meat,
Nor yet for my fee;
But I moan for Christen land;
It’s there I fain would be.’
VIII
‘O nurse my bairn, nourice,
Till he stan’ at your knee,
An ye’s win hame to Christen land
Whar fain it’s ye wad be.
IX
‘O keep my bairn, nourice,
Till he gang by the hauld97,
An ye’s win hame to your young son
Ye left in four nights auld.
X
‘O nourice lay your head
[Here] upo’ my knee:
See ye not that narrow road
Up by yonder tree?
XI
[‘See ye not the narrow road
By yon lillie leven?]
That’s the road the righteous goes
And that’s the road to heaven.
XII
‘An’ see na ye that braid road
Down by yon sunny fell?
Yon’s the road the wicked gae,
An’ that’s the road to hell.
XIII
[‘An’ see na ye that bonny road
About the fernie brae?
That wins back frae Elfland
Where you must wait to gae.’]
Footnotes
94 greet = cry.
95 ben = to the inner room.
96 nourice = nurse.
97 gang by the hauld = walk by holding on to the hand.