1 Sweet Willie and Fair Annë,
They sat on yon hill,
And frae the morning till night
This twa neer talked their fill.
2 Willie spak a word in jest,
And Annë took it ill:
'We's court na mare maidens,
Against our parents' will.'
3 'It's na against our parents' will,'
Fair Annie she did say,
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
4 Willie is hame to his bower,
To his book all alane,
And Fair Annie is to her bower,
To her book and her seam.
5 Sweet Willie is to his mother dear,
Fell low down on his knee:
'An asking, my mother dear,
And ye grant it to me;
O will I marry the nut-brown may,
An lat Fair Annie gae?'
6 'The nut-brown may has ousen, Willie,
The nut-brown may has key;
An ye will winn my blessing, Willie,
And latt Fair Annie be.'
7 He did him to his father dear,
Fell low down on his knee:
'An asking, my father,
An ye man grant it me.'
8 'Ask on, my ae son Willie,
Ye'r sur yer askin's free;
Except it is to marry her Fair Annie,
And that manna be.'
9 Out spak his little sister,
As she [sat] by the fire:
'The ox-leg will brack in the plough,
And the cow will drown in the mire.
10 'An Willie will ha nathing
But the dam to sitt by the fire;
Fair Annie will sit in her beagly bower,
An winn a earl's hire.'