Sweet Willie And Fair Annie

Sweet Willie and fair Annie sat ae day on a hill
Though they had sitten seven lang year, they ne'er wad had their fill
Sweet Willie said a word in haste and Annie took it ill
"I winna wed a tocherless maid against ma mither's will"

"For ye're come o' the rich, Willie, and I'm come o' the poor
I'm ower laich tae be your bride an' I winna be yer hooer"
So Annie's gane in 'til her bower, and Willie doon the den
And he's come 'til his mither's bower by the lee licht o' the moon

"Oh sleep ye, wake ye, mither?" he says, "Or are ye the bower within?"
"I sleep richt aft, I wake richt aft, whit want ye wi' me, son?
Whaur hae ye been a' the nicht, Willie? And wow, ye've tarried lang"
"I've been courtin' fair Annie, and she is frae me gan"

"There is twa maidens in a bower, which o' them sall I bring hame?
The nut-broon maid has sheep and cows, fair Annie, she's got nane"
"It's an ye wed the nut-broon maid, I'll heap wi' gowd ma hand
But an ye wed her fair Annie, I'd straik it wi' a wand

The nut-broon maid has sheep and cows, fair Annie, she's got nane
And Willie, for my benison, the nut-broon maid bring hame"
"Oh I sall wed the nut-broon maid and I sall bring her hame
But peace nor rest atween us twa, 'til death sinder's again

For sheep will die in cots, mither, and owsen die in byre
And what's this warld's wealth to me gin I get na ma heart's desire?"
"Ye'll tell her to come tae Willie's weddin' the morn at twel at noon
Ye'll tell her to come tae Willie's weddin', the heir o' Duplin toon"

So he is on tae Annie's bower and he's tirled at the pin
Wha was sae ready as Annie hersel tae open and let him in
"It's I will come tae Willie's weddin' the morn at twel tae dine
I will come tae Willie's weddin' though I'd raither it had been mine

So maidens, tae my bower come and lay gowd on my hair
And far ye laid ae plait afore, ye'll now lay ten times mair
Tailors, tae my bower come and mak' tae me a weed
And smiths, untae my stable come and shoe tae me a steed"

At every tate o' Annie's horse, there hang a silver bell
There cam a wind oot frae the north which made them a' tae knell
Fan she came tae Marykirk and sat down in the deas
The licht that cam frae fair Annie enlichtened a' the place

But up and stands the nut-broon bride jist at her faither's knee
"Oh fa is this, ma faither dear, that blinks in Willie's ee?"
"Oh this is Willie's first true love afore he lovèd thee"
"Gin that be Willie's first true love, he micht hae latten me be"

"Oh far got ye the water, Annie, that washes ye sae white?"
"I got it in ma mither's wame far you'll ne'er get the like
For ye've been washed in Dunny's well and dried on Dunny's dyke
And a' the water in the sea will never wash ye white"

Fan nicht was come, and day was gane, and a' man boun' to bed
Sweet Willie and the nut-broon bride were in their chamber laid
They werena weel lyen doon and scarcely fa'an asleep
Fan up and stands she, fair Annie, jist up at Willie's feet

"Weel brook ye o' your broom, broon bride, atween ye and the wa'
And sae will I o' my winding sheet that suits me best of a'"
Sad Willie raise, pit on his claise, drew 'til him hose and shoon
And he is on tae Annie's bower by the lee licht o' the moon

The firsten bower that he cam 'til there was richt dowie wark
Her mither and her three sisters were makin' her a sark
The neisten bower that he cam 'til there was richt dowie cheir
He's lifted up the coverlet, fair Annie lay streekit there

"It's I will kiss yer bonny cheek and I will kiss yer chin
I will kiss yer clay-cald lip, but I'll ne'er kiss woman again
The day ye deal at Annie's grave, the breid but and the wine
Afore the morn at twel o'clock they'll deal the same at mine"

The tane was buried in Mary's kirk, the tither in Mary's quire
And oot o' the tane there grew a birk, and oot o' the tither a briar
And aye they grew, and aye they drew, until the twa did meet
And every ane that passed them by said, "There's been lovers sweet"