"O if you come my bower within,
By night, or yet by day,
As soon's I draw my trusty brand,
Nae lang ye'll wi' me stay."
But he is haunted to her bower,145
Her bigly bower o' stane,
Till he has got her big wi' bairn,
And near sax months she's gane.
Whan three mair months were come and gane,
They gae'd to hunt the hynde;150
She wont to be the foremost ane,
But now stay'd far behynd.
Her luver looks her in the face,
And thus to her said he;
"I think your cheeks are pale and wan,155
Pray, what gaes warst wi' thee?
"O want ye roses to your breast,
Or ribbons to your sheen?
Or want ye as muckle o' dear bought luve
As your heart can conteen?"160
"I want nae roses to my breast,
Nae ribbons to my sheen;
Nor want I as muckle dear bought luve
As my heart can conteen.
"I'd rather ha'e a fire behynd,165
Anither me before;
A gude midwife at my right side,
Till my young babe be bore."
"I'll kindle a fire wi' a flint stane,
Bring wine in a green horn;170
I'll be midwife at your right side,
Till your young babe be born."
"That was ne'er my mither's custom,
Forbid that it be mine!
A knight stan' by a lady bright,175
Whan she drees a' her pine!
"There is a knight in gude greenwood,
If that he kent o' me,
Thro' stock and stane and the hawthorn,
Sae soon's he wou'd come me tee."180