YOUNG BEICHAN AND SUSIE

[Original]

In London city was Beichan born,

He longed strange countries for to see;

But he was ta en by a savage Moor,

Who handled him right cruelly;

For through his shoulder he put a bore;

And through the bore has putten a tree;

And he's gar'd him draw the carts of wine

Where horse and oxen had wont to be.

He's casten [him] in a dungeon deep,

Where he could neither hear nor see;

He's shut him up in a prison strong,

And he's handled him right cruelly.

O this Moor he had but ae daughter,

I wot her name was Susie Pye;

She doen her to the prison house,

And she's called young Beichan one word by.

"O have ye any lands, or rents,

Or cities in your own country,

Could free you out of prison strong,

And could maintain a lady free?"

"O London city is my own,

And other cities twa or three,

Could loose me out of prison strong,

And could maintain a lady free"

O she has brib'd her father's men

Wi' mickle gold and white money;

She's gotten the keys of the prison door

And she has set young Beichan free.

(bore, hole. tree, pole. free, noble.)

She's gi en him a loaf of good white bread,

But an' a flask of Spanish wine;

And she bad him mind on the lady's love

That sae kindly freed him out of pine.

[Original]

"Go set your foot on good ship-board,

And haste ye back to your own country;

And before that seven years have an end,

Come back again, love, and marry me."

It was long ere seven years had an end,

She long'd full sore her love to see;

She's set her foot on good shipboard,

And turn'd her back on her own country.

She's sailed up, so has she doun,

Till she came to the other side;

She's landed at young Beichan's

gates,

An I hope this day she shall be his bride.

"Is this young Beichan's gates," says she,

"Or is that noble prince within?"

"He's up the stairs wi' his bonny bride,

An mony a lord and lady wi him."

(pinge, woe.0

"And has he ta'en a bonny bride?

An' has he clean forgotten me?"

An', sighin', said that gay lady,

"I wish I were in my own country."

But she's putten her han' in her pocket,

An' gien the porter guineas three;

Says, "take ye that, ye proud porter,

An' bid the bridegroom speak to me."

O when the porter came up the stair,

He's fa'n low down upon his knee—

"Win up, win up, ye proud porter,

And what makes a' this courtesy?"

"O I've been porter at your gates,

This mair nor seven years and three;

But there is a lady at them now,

The like of whom I never did see;

"For on every finger she has a ring,

And on the mid finger she has three;

And as mickle gold aboon her brow

As would buy an earldom o' Lan' to me."

Then up it started Young Beichan,

An' swear so loud by our Lady,

"It can be nane but Susie Pye,

That has come o'er the sea to me.

(win up, get up.)

And quickly ran he down the stair;

Of fifteen steps he has made but three;

He's ta'en his bonny love in his arms,

And I wot he kissed her tenderly.

"O hae ye taen a bonny bride?

And hae ye quite forsaken me?

And hae ye quite forgotten her,

That gave you life and liberty?"

She looked o'er her left shoulder,

To hide the tears stood in her e'e:

"Now fare thee well, young Beichan," she says,

"I'll try to think no more on thee,"

"Take back your daughter, madam," he says,

"An' a double dowry I'll gie her wi';

For I maun marry my first true love,

That's done and suffered so much for me."

He's ta'en his bonny love by the hand,

And led her to yon fountain stane;

He's changed her name from Susie Pye,

And he's call'd her his bonny love, Lady Jane.