Classic Poem

O Willie 's large o' limb and lith
And come o' high degree,
And he is gane to Earl Richard
To serve for meat and fee.

Earl Richard had but ae daughter
Fair as a lily flower;
And they made up their love-contract
Like proper paramour.

It fell upon a simmer's nicht
Whan the leaves were fair and green,
That Willie met his gay ladie
Intil the wood alane.

O narrow is my gown, Willie,
That wont to be sae wide;
And gane is a' my fair colour
That wont to be my pride.

But gin my father should get word
What 's past between us twa,
Before that he should eat or drink
He'd hang you o'er that wa'.

But ye'll come to my bower, Willie,
Just as the sun gaes down;
And kep me in your arms twa
And latna me fa' down.

O whan the sun was now gane down
He 's doen him till her bower;
And there by the lee licht o' the moon
Her window she lookit o'er.

Intill a robe o' red scarlet
She lap, fearless o' harm;
And Willie was large o' lith and limb
And keppit her in his arm.

And they've gane to the gude green wood;
And ere the night was deen
She 's born to him a bonny young son
Amang the leaves sae green.

Whan night was gane and day was come
And the sun began to peep,
Up and raise the Earl Richard
Out o' his drowsy sleep.

He 's ca'd upon his merry young men
By ane, by twa, and by three:
O what 's come o' my daughter dear,
That she 's nae come to me?

I dreamt a dreary dream last night--
God grant it come to gude--
I dreamt I saw my daughter dear
Drown in the saut sea flood.

But gin my daughter be dead or sick,
Or yet be stown awa,
I mak a vow, and I'll keep it true,
I'll hang ye ane and a'.

They sought her back, they sought her fore,
They sought her up and down;
They got her in the gude green wood
Nursing her bonny young son.

He took the bonny boy in his arms
And kist him tenderlie;
Says, Though I would your father hang,
Your mother 's dear to me.

He kist him o'er and o'er again:
My grandson I thee claim;
And Robin Hood in gude green wood,
And that shall be your name.

And mony ane sings o' grass, o' grass,
And mony ane sings o' corn,
And mony ane sings o' Robin Hood
Kens little whare he was born.

It wasna in the ha', the ha',
Nor in the painted bower,
But it was in the gude green wood
Amang the lily flower.