The English and Scottish Popular Ballads/Part 1/Chapter 24

by Francis James Child

Bonnie Annie

THERE was a rich lord, and he lived in Forfar,
He had a fair lady, and one only dochter.
O she was fair, O dear, she was bonnie!
A ship’s captain courted her to be his honey.
There cam a ship’s captain out owre the sea sailing,
He courted this young thing till he got her wi bairn.
‘Ye’ll steal your father’s gowd, and your mother’s money,
And I’ll mak ye a lady in Ireland bonnie.’
She’s stown her father’s gowd, and her mother’s money,
But she was never a lady in Ireland bonnie.
* * * * *
‘There’s fey fowk in our ship, she winna sail for me,
There’s fey fowk in our ship, she winna sail for me.’
They’ve casten black bullets twice six and forty,
And ae the black bullet fell on bonnie Annie.
‘Ye’ll tak me in your arms twa, lo, lift me cannie,
Throw me out owre board, your ain dear Annie.’
He has tane her in his arms twa, lo, lifted her cannie,
He has laid her on a bed of down, his ain dear Annie.
‘What can a woman do, love, I’ll do for ye;’
‘Muckle can a woman do, ye canna do for me.’
‘Lay about, steer about, lay our ship cannie,
Do all ye can to save my dear Annie.’
‘I’ve laid about, steerd about, laid about cannie,
But all I can do, she winna sail for me.
‘Ye’ll tak her in your arms twa, lo, lift her cannie,
And throw her out owre board, your ain dear Annie.’
He has tane her in his arms twa, lo, lifted her cannie,
He has thrown her out owre board, his ain dear Annie.
As the ship sailed, bonnie Annie she swam,
And she was at Ireland as soon as them.
He made his love a coffin of the gowd sae yellow,
And buried his bonnie love doun in a sea valley.

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DOWN in Dumbarton there wonnd a rich merchant,
Down in Dumbarton there wond a rich merchant,
And he had nae family but ae only dochter.
      Refrain: Sing fal lal de deedle, fal lal de deedle lair, O a day
There cam a rich squire, intending to woo her,
He wooed her until he had got her wi babie.
‘Oh what shall I do! oh what shall come o me!
Baith father and mither will think naething o me.’
‘Gae up to your father, bring down gowd and money,
And I’ll take ye ower to a braw Irish ladie.’
She gade to her father, brought down gowd and money,
And she’s awa ower to a braw Irish ladie.
She hadna sailed far till the young thing cried ‘Women!’
‘What women can do, my dear, I’ll do for you.’
‘O haud your tongue, foolish man, dinna talk vainly,
For ye never kent what a woman driet for you.
‘Gae wash your hands in the cauld spring water,
And dry them on a towel a’ giltit wi silver.
‘And tak me by the middle, and lift me up saftlie,
And throw me ower shipboard, baith me and my babie.’
He took her by the middle, and lifted her saftly,
And threw her ower shipboard, baith her and her babie.
Sometimes she did sink, sometimes she did float it,
Until that she cam to the high banks o Yarrow.
‘O captain tak gowd, O sailors tak money,
And launch out your sma boat till I sail for my honey.’
‘How can I tak gowd, how can I tak money?
My ship’s on a sand bank, she winna sail for me.’
The captain took gowd, the sailors took money,
And they launchd out their sma boat till he sailed for his honey.
‘Mak my love a coffin o the gowd sae yellow,
Whar the wood it is dear, and the planks they are narrow,
And bury my love on the high banks o Yarrow.’
They made her a coffin o the gowd sae yellow,
And buried her deep on the high banks o Yarrow.