Classic Poem

There lived a lord into the West,
And he had daughters three,
And the youngest has gane to Holyrood,
To be a Queen's Marie.

Marie Hamilton to the kirk has gane,
Wi' ribbons in her hair;
The King thought mair o' Marie Hamilton,
Than ony that were there.

Marie Hamilton to the kirk has gane,
Wi' ribbons on her breist;
The King thought mair o' Marie Hamilton,
Than he listened to the priest.

Marie Hamilton to the Kirk has gane,
Wi' gloves upon her hands;
The King thought mair o' Marie Hamilton,
Than the Queen and a' her lands.

She hadna been in the King's Court,
A twelvemonth and a day,
Till she could neither sit nor gang,
Wi' the gaining o' some play.

The King has gane to the Abbey garden,
And pu'd the savin' tree,
To scale the babe frae Marie's heart,
But the thing it wadna be.

Word's gane up, and word's gane doun,
And word's gane to the ha',
That Marie Hamilton's brought to bed,
And the bonnie babe's awa'.

Then in and cam' the Queen hersel',
Wi' the gowd strings in her hair,
Saying “Marie Hamilton, where is the babe
That I heard greet sae sair?”

“There is nae babe within my bower,
And I hope there ne'er will be;
It was mysel' wi' a stitch in my side,
I was sick—just like to dee!”

“O haud your tongue, Marie Hamilton!
Let a' thae words gae free,
And tell me where is the little babe
That I heard greet by thee?”

“I rowed it in my handkerchief,
And threw it in the sea;
I bade it sink, I bade it swim,
It wad get nae mair o' me.”

“O wae be to thee, Marie Hamilton!
An ill death may you dee!
For if ye had saved the babie's life,
It might have honoured thee.

“But rise, rise up, Marie Hamilton,
Rise up, and follow me;
For I am going to Edinburgh town,
A gay wedding to see.”

O slowly, slowly, rase she up,
And slowly put she on,
And slowly rode she out the way
Wi' mony a weary groan.

The Queen was clad in scarlet,
Her merry maids all in green;
And every town that they cam' to,
They took Marie for the queen.

But little wist Marie Hamilton,
When she rode on the brown,
That she was gaun to Edinburgh,
And a' to be put down.

“Ride hooly, ride hooly now, gentlemen,
Ride hooly now wi' me,
For never I'm sure a wearier bird
Rode in your companie.”

As she gaed up the Cannongate,
The Cannongate sae free,
Monie a lady look'd owre her window,
Weeping for sweet Marie.

As she gaed up the Parliament Close,
A-riding on her horse,
There was many a burgess lady
Sat weeping at the Cross.

“O what means a' this greeting?
I'm sure it's no for me;
For I am come to Edinburgh town
A gay wedding to see.”

As she gaed up the Tolbooth stairs
She laughed loud laughters three;
But or ever she cam' doon again
She was condemned to dee.

“O dinna weep for me, ladies!
Ye needna weep for me;
Had not I killed my ain dear bairn
This death I wad'na dee.

“Cast aff, cast aff my gown,” she said,
“But let my petticoat be;
And tie a napkin ower my face,
That the gallows I may na see.

“Yestreen the Queen had four Maries;
The nicht she'll hae but three;
There was Marie Beatoun, and Marie Seton,
And Marie Carmichael, and me.

“O aft, aft hae I dressed the Queen,
And put gowd in her hair;
But now I've gotten for my doom,
The gallows tree to share.

“O aften hae I dressed my queen,
And aften made her bed;
But now I've gotten for my reward,
The gallows tree to tread.

“O happy, happy, is the maid,
That's born o' beauty free;
It was my dimpling rosie cheeks
That's been the dule o' me.

“I charge ye all, ye mariners,
When ye sail ower the faem,
That ye lat na my father or mither ken,
But that I'm coming hame.

“Ye mariners, ye mariners,
When ye sail ower the sea,
O let na my father or mither ken,
I hung on the gallows tree.

“O little did my mither think,
That day she cradled me,
What lands I was to travel ower,
What death I was to dee.

“O little did my father think,
That day he held up me,
That I, his last and dearest hope,
Should hang upon a tree.

“But weep nae mair for me, ladies,
Weep nae mair for me;
The mither that kills her ain bairn,
Deserves weel for to dee.”