Montrose he had a poor shepherd,
And a poor shepherd was he;
He had as fair a daughter
As ever you could see,
And an earl has fallen in love wi her,
And his bride now she must be.
The earl he came to the shepherd's door,
And he tirled at the pin;
Slowly rose the fair maid
For to let the earl in.
— Good day, good day, fair maid, — he says;
— Good day, good day, — said she;
— Good day unto thee, noble sir,
What is thy will with me? —
— I 'm so possessed with love to thee,
That I cannot gang nor stand
Till you go unto yonder church,
To give me thy right hand. —
— Oh, no, oh no, — the fair maid says,
— Oh that can never be;
For thou art a lord of good estate,
And I but of mean degree.
— Oh no, oh no, — the fair maid says,
— Thou 'rt rich and I am poor;
And I am owre mean to be thy wife,
Too good to be thy whore.
— I can shape, and I can sew,
And cows and yowes can milk,
But I was neer brought up in a lady's room,
To sew satin nor silk.
— And if you had your will of me
Ye wud me soon forget;
Ye wad gar turn me doun your stairs
And bar on me your yett. —
— Oh no, oh no, — the earl says,
— For so shall never be;
For this night or I eat or drink
My honoured bride you shall be. —
— My father he 's a poor shepherd,
He 's herding on yon hill;
You may go to my old father,
And ask at him his will. —
The earl he went to the poor shepherd,
Who was herding on the lea;
— Good day, good day, shepherd, — he says;
— Good day, good day, — said he,
Good day unto your honour, sir;
What is your will with me? —
— Oh you have a fair daughter;
Will ye give her to me,
Silk and satin she shall wear,
And, shepherd, so shall ye. —
— It 's true I have a fair daughter,
But I 'll not give her to thee;
For thou art a lord of good estate,
And she but of mean degree.
— The reason is, thou art too rich,
And my daughter is too poor;
She is ower mean to be thy wife,
Too good to be thy whoore.
— She can shape, etc. (as verse 7).
— And if you had your will of her, etc. (8).
— Oh no, oh no, — the earl says, etc. (9).
The earl he to the fair maid again,
Who was spinning at her wheel;
She had but one petticoat on her,
But oh she set it weel!
— Cast off, cast off that petticoat
That you were wont to wear,
And put on a gown of the satin silk,
With a garland in your hair. —
She cast off the petticoat
That she was wont to wear,
And she put on a gown of the satin silk,
With a garland in her hair.
Many, many was there that night
To bear them company;
And she is the earl's wife,
She 's thrice fairer than he.
And a poor shepherd was he;
He had as fair a daughter
As ever you could see,
And an earl has fallen in love wi her,
And his bride now she must be.
The earl he came to the shepherd's door,
And he tirled at the pin;
Slowly rose the fair maid
For to let the earl in.
— Good day, good day, fair maid, — he says;
— Good day, good day, — said she;
— Good day unto thee, noble sir,
What is thy will with me? —
— I 'm so possessed with love to thee,
That I cannot gang nor stand
Till you go unto yonder church,
To give me thy right hand. —
— Oh, no, oh no, — the fair maid says,
— Oh that can never be;
For thou art a lord of good estate,
And I but of mean degree.
— Oh no, oh no, — the fair maid says,
— Thou 'rt rich and I am poor;
And I am owre mean to be thy wife,
Too good to be thy whore.
— I can shape, and I can sew,
And cows and yowes can milk,
But I was neer brought up in a lady's room,
To sew satin nor silk.
— And if you had your will of me
Ye wud me soon forget;
Ye wad gar turn me doun your stairs
And bar on me your yett. —
— Oh no, oh no, — the earl says,
— For so shall never be;
For this night or I eat or drink
My honoured bride you shall be. —
— My father he 's a poor shepherd,
He 's herding on yon hill;
You may go to my old father,
And ask at him his will. —
The earl he went to the poor shepherd,
Who was herding on the lea;
— Good day, good day, shepherd, — he says;
— Good day, good day, — said he,
Good day unto your honour, sir;
What is your will with me? —
— Oh you have a fair daughter;
Will ye give her to me,
Silk and satin she shall wear,
And, shepherd, so shall ye. —
— It 's true I have a fair daughter,
But I 'll not give her to thee;
For thou art a lord of good estate,
And she but of mean degree.
— The reason is, thou art too rich,
And my daughter is too poor;
She is ower mean to be thy wife,
Too good to be thy whoore.
— She can shape, etc. (as verse 7).
— And if you had your will of her, etc. (8).
— Oh no, oh no, — the earl says, etc. (9).
The earl he to the fair maid again,
Who was spinning at her wheel;
She had but one petticoat on her,
But oh she set it weel!
— Cast off, cast off that petticoat
That you were wont to wear,
And put on a gown of the satin silk,
With a garland in your hair. —
She cast off the petticoat
That she was wont to wear,
And she put on a gown of the satin silk,
With a garland in her hair.
Many, many was there that night
To bear them company;
And she is the earl's wife,
She 's thrice fairer than he.