They hadna been a week, a week,
In Noroway but twae,
When that the lords o' Noroway
Began aloud to say—
'Ye Scotisman spend a' our king's gowd,
And a' our queenis fee.'
'Ye lee, ye lee, ye leears loud,
Sae loud's I hear ye lee!
'For I brought as much o' the white monie
As gane my men and me,
And a half-fou o' the gude red gowd,
Out owre the sea with me.
'Mak' ready, mak' ready, my merry men a',
Our gude ship sails the morn.'
'O say na sae, my master dear,
I fear a deadlie storm.
'I saw the new moon late yestreen,
Wi' the auld moon in her arm;
And if we gang to sea, master,
I fear we'll come to harm!'
They hadna sail'd a league, a league,
A league but barely three,
When the lift grew dark, and the wind blew loud
And gurly grew the sea.
The ankers brak, and the tap-masts lap,
It was sic a deadlie storm;
And the waves cam' owre the broken ship,
Till a' her sides were torn.
'O whare will I get a gude sailor
Will tak' the helm in hand,
Till I get up to the tall tap-mast,
To see if I can spy land.'
'O here am I, a sailor gude,
To tak' the helm in hand,
Till ye get up to the tall tap-mast,
But I fear ye'll ne'er spy land.'
He hadna gane a step, a step,
A step but barely ane,
When a bout flew out o' the gude ship's side,
And the saut sea it cam' in.