Classic Poem

It was intill a pleasant time,
—Upon a simmer's day,
The noble Earl Mar's daughter
—Went forth to sport and play.

And as she played and sported
—Below a green aik tree,
There she saw a sprightly doo
—Set on a branch sae hie.

“O Coo-my-doo, my love sae true,
—If ye'll come doun to me,
Ye'se hae a cage o' gude red gowd
—Instead o' simple tree.

“I'll tak' ye hame and pet ye weel,
—Within my bower and ha';
I'll gar ye shine as fair a bird
—As ony o' them a'!”

And she had nae these words weel spoke,
—Nor yet these words weel said,
Till Coo-my-doo flew frae the branch,
—And lighted on her head.

Then she has brought this pretty bird
—Hame to her bower and ha',
And made him shine as fair a bird
—As ony o' them a'.

When day was gane, and night was come,
—About the evening-tide,
This lady spied a bonny youth
—Stand straight up by her side.

“Now whence come ye, young man,” she said,
—“To put me into fear?
My door was bolted right secure,
—And what way cam' ye here?”

“O haud your tongue, my lady fair,
—Lat a' your folly be;
Mind ye not o' your turtle-doo
—Ye wiled from aff the tree?”

“O wha are ye, young man?” she said,
—“What country come ye frae?”
“I flew across the sea,” he said,
—“'Twas but this verra day.

“My mither is a queen,” he says,
—“Likewise of magic skill;
'Twas she that turned me in a doo,
—To fly where'er I will.

“And it was but this verra day
—That I cam' owre the sea:
I loved you at a single look;
—With you I'll live and dee.”

“O Coo-my-doo, my love sae true,
—Nae mair frae me ye'se gae.”
“That's never my intent, my love;
—As ye said, it sall be sae.”

There he has lived in bower wi' her,
—For six lang years and ane;
Till sax young sons to him she bare,
—And the seventh she's brought hame.

But aye, as soon's a child was barn,
—He carried them away,
And brought them to his mither's care,
—As fast as he could fly.

When he had stayed in bower wi' her
—For seven lang years an' mair;
There cam' a lord o' hie renown
—To court that lady fair.

But still his proffer she refused,
—And a' his presents too;
Says, “I'm content to live alane
—Wi' my bird Coo-my-doo!”

Her father sware a michty oath,
—He sware it wi' ill-will:
“To-morrow, ere I eat or drink,
—That bird I'll surely kill.”

The bird was sitting in his cage,
—And heard what he did say;
He jumped upon the window-sill:
—“'Tis time I was away.”

Then Coo-my-doo took flight and flew
—Beyond the raging sea,
And lichted at his mither's castle,
—Upon a tower sae hie.

The Queen his mither was walking out,
—To see what she could see,
And there she saw her darling son
—Set on the tower sae hie.

“Get dancers here to dance,” she said,
—“And minstrels for to play;
For here's my dear son Florentine
—Come back wi' me to stay.”

“Get nae dancers to dance, mither,
—Nor minstrels for to play;
For the mither o' my seven sons,
—The morn's her wedding day.”

“Now tell me, dear son Florentine,
—O tell, and tell me true;
Tell me this day, without delay,
—What sall I do for you?”

“Instead of dancers to dance, mither,
—Or minstrels for to play,
Turn four-and-twenty well-wight men,
—Like storks, in feathers gray;

“My seven sons in seven swans,
—Aboon their heads to flee;
And I mysel' a gay gos-hawk,
—A bird o' high degree.”

Then, sighing, said the Queen to hersel',
—“That thing's too high for me!”
But she applied to an auld woman,
—Wha had mair skill than she.

Instead o' dancers to dance a dance,
—Or minstrels for to play,
Were four-and-twenty well-wight men
—Turned birds o' feathers gray;

Her seven sons in seven swans,
—Aboon their heads to flee;
And he himsel' a gay gos-hawk,
—A bird o' high degree.

This flock o' birds took flight and flew
—Beyond the raging sea;
They landed near the Earl Mar's castle,
—And took shelter in every tree.

They were a flock o' pretty birds,
—Right wondrous to be seen;
The weddin'eers they looked at them
—Whilst walking on the green.

These birds flew out frae bush and tree,
—And lichted on the ha';
And, when the wedding-train cam' forth,
—Flew down amang them a'.

The storks they seized the boldest men,
—That they could not fight or flee;
The swans they bound the bridegroom fast
—Unto a green aik tree.

They flew around the bride-maidens,
—Around the bride's own head;
And, wi' the twinkling o' an ee,
—The bride and they were fled.

There's ancient men at weddings been
—For eighty years or more;
But siccan a curious wedding-day
—They never saw before.

For naething could the company do,
—Nor naething could they say;
But they saw a flock o' pretty birds
—That took their bride away.