COCHRANE’S BONNY GRIZZY
PART I
Listen, now, both great and simple,
Whilst I croon to you my song,
Ere such another damsel ’pears,
The world will cease to wag ere long:
For she is the flower o’er all the bower,
My blessings on Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy!
Her father lay long in the Embro jail,
Wearing fast to his end,
For his head must be swept clean from his shoulders,
When the warrant the King shall send;
Singing “Woes me!” wi’ the tear in her e’e,
Did Cochrane’s bonny daughter mourn!
She kissed her father’s lyart locks,
Unkempt for many a day,
And she said, “To save my father’s life,
I aiblins ken a way:
Give me thy love, that I fortune prove?”
Quo’ Cochrane’s bonny daughter!
She rode away thro’ the stragglling town,
Of beggart Hadingtown,
Syne by Dunbar, thro’ Coppersmith,
And she rapped right loud on the barred gates,
Did Cochrane’s bonny daughter!
She slept all night and she rose betimes,
And crossed the long bridge of the Tweed;
And over the moor at Tweedmouth brae,
Sore draggit was her woman’s weed;
And lightin’ down by Haggerston Shaws,
Did Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy!
A cloak she drew from her saddlebag,
With trunks and a doublet fair;
She cut off with a folding knife,
Her long and raven hair;
And she dressed herself in laddie’s clothes,
Did Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy!
The horseman rode into Belford town,
Who carried the London mail,
Bold Grizzy she sought the hostel out,
And there with a couthy tale,
Forgathered with the London Post,
Did Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy!
She roared the loudest of them a’,
Quo’ the fellow, “My canty chiel,
Deil blaw my pipes! yere the crack o’ the wa’,
And the best amang the hail!”
In the dead of night did they go to their beds,
And so did Cochrane’s daughter!
She rose over the bed ere the second cock,
Went jimply along the floor;
She’s stown her father’s death warrant,
Whilst the lubber loud did snore.
She’s gained the hills ere the hue and cry
They raised on Cochrane’s daughter!
PART II
But the King can write another brief,
For all the first be stown;
And once again the fellow rode,
With the warrant from London town.
Now out and alas! What can she do?
For the heart of Grizzy sank!
The red sun went down o’er the sea,
And the wind blew stiff and snell,
And as it shot by Grizzy’s lugs,
It sounded old Cochrane’s knell.
“But downa despair, ’tis a kittle carle!”
Said Cochrane’s Bonny daughter!
The larch and the tall fir shrieked with pain,
As they bent before the wind,
And down there fell the heavy rain,
Till sense and eyes were blind;
“A lang night ’tis ne’er sees a day,”
Quo’ Cochrane’s undaunted Grizzy!
The Warlocks are dancing threesome reels,
On Goswick’s haunted links,
The red fire shoots by Ladythorne,
And Tam wi’ the Lanthorne falls and sinks.
On Kyloe’s hills there’s awful sounds,
But they frighted not Cochrane’s Grizzy!
The moon beams shot from the troubled sky,
In glints of flickering light,
The horseman came skelping thro’ the mire,
For his mind was in affright:
His pistol cocked he held in his hand,
But the sient a fear had Grizzy!
As he came fornents the Fenwicke woods,
From the whin-bushes shot out a flame;
His dappled filly reared up in affright,
And backward over he came;
There’s a hand on his craig, and a foot on his mouth,
’Twas Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy!
“I will not take thy life,” she said,
“But give me thy London news;
No blood of thine shall syle my blad,
Gin me ye dinna refuse:”
She’s prie’d the warrant, and away she flew,
With the speed and strength of the wild curlew!
Love will make a foe grow kind,
Love will bring blossom where bud is naught.
Love hath softened a kingly mind,
Grizzy hath mercy to councillors taught.
Her friends at Court have prieven the life
O’ Grizzy’s banished father!
She’s wedded unto a German Knight,
Her bairnies blithe with her sire remain,
She’s cast the laddie’s clouts away,
And her raven hair is growing again.
What think ye, gentles o’ every degree,
Of Cochrane’s Bonny Grizzy?
(Englished)
THE GREETING OF KYNAST
She said, “This narrow chamber is not for me the place,”
Said the Lady Kunigunde of Kynast!
“’Tis pleasanter on horseback, I’ll hie me to the chase,”
Said the Lady Kunigunde!
She said, “The Knight who weds me, I do require of him,”
Said the Lady Kunigunde of Kynast!
“To gallop round the Kynast and break not neck nor limb.”
A noble Knight came forward and galloped round the wall;
The Lady Kunigunde of Kynast,
The lady without lifting a finger saw him fall.
And yet another galloped around the battlement;
The Lady Kunigunde,
The lady saw him tumble, yet did she not relent.
And rider after rider spurred round his snorting horse;
The Lady Kunigunde
Saw him vanish o’er the rampart, and never felt remorse.
Long time the folly lasted, then came no rider more;
The Lady Kunigunde,
They would not ride to win her, the trial was too sore.
She stood upon her towers, she looked upon the land,
The Lady Kunigunde of Kynast:
“I’m all alone at home here, will no one seek my hand?
“Is there none will ride to win me, to win me for his bride,
The Lady Kunigunde of Kynast?
Oh fie! the paltry rider who dreads the bridal ride!”
Then out and spake from Thüringen the Landgrave Adelbert,
“The Lady Kunigunde of Kynast!
Well may the haughty damsel her worthiness assert.”
He trains his horse to gallop on narrow walls of stone;
The Lady Kunigunde of Kynast!
“The lady shall not see us break neck or limb or bone.
“See here, O noble Lady, I’m he that dares the ride!”
The Lady Kunigunde,
She looks in thoughtful silence, to see him sit in pride.
She saw him now make ready, then trembled she and sighed
The Lady Kunigunde:
“Woe’s me that I so fearful have made the bridal ride!”
Then rode he round the Kynast; her face she turned away,
“Woe’s me, the Knight is riding down to his grave to-day!”
He rides around the Kynast, right round the narrow wall;
The Lady Kunigunde!
She cannot stir for terror her lily hand at all.
He rides around the Kynast, dear round the battlement;
The Lady Kunigunde!
As if a breath might kill him, she held her breath suspent.
He rode around the Kynast and straight to her rode he;
Said the Lady Kunigunde of Kynast:
“Thanks be to God in Heaven, who gave thy life to thee!
“Thanks be to God that into thy grave thou didst not ride!”
Said the Lady Kunigunde:
“Come down from off thy horse now, O Knight, unto thy bride!”
Then spake the noble rider, and greeted, as he sate,
The Lady Kunigunde:
“Oh, trust a Knight for horsemanship! well have I taught thee that.
“Now wait till comes another who can the same thing do,
O Lady Kunigunde of Kynast!
I’ve wife and child already, can be no spouse for you!”
He gave his steed the spur, now; rode back the way he came;
The Lady Kunigunde!
The lady saw him vanish, she swooned with scorn and shame.
And she remains a virgin, her pride had such a fall,
The Lady Kunigunde!
Changed to a wooden image she stands in sight of all.
An image, like a hedgehog, with spines for hair, is now
The Lady Kunigunde of Kynast!
The stranger has to kiss it, who climbs the Kynast’s brow.
We bring it him to kiss it; and if it shocks his pride,
The Lady Kunigunde Kynast!
He must pay down his forfeit, who will not kiss the bride,
The Lady Kunigunde!
Charles T. Brooks, from Rückert