Young Tam Lin
Traditional Scottish Ballad
Oh I forbid ye maidens a'
That come wi' gold in their hair
To come and gae by Carterhaugh,
For the young Tam Lin is there.
And there's nai that gae by Carterhaugh
But they weave him a wad,
Either their rings or their greenmantles
Or else their maidenheads!
Janet has kilted her green kettle just a little
abon her knee,
And she has brodied her yellow hair a little abon her bree.
And she's awa to Carterhaugh
as fast as she can be.
And when she came to Carterhaugh
Tam Lin was at the well
And there she found his steed standin'
But awa' was he himsel'
She had not pulled a double rose,
A rose but only twae,
When up and started young Tam Lin,
Said 'Lady, pull nae mare!'
'Why pulls thou the rose, Janet?
Why breaks thou the wands!
Or why comes thou to Carterhaugh
Withouten my command?'
'Now, Carterhaugh it is my ain
My Daddy gave it me,
And I'll come and gang by Carterhaugh
And ask nae leave of thee!'
Janet has kilted her green kettle just a little
abon her knee,
And she has snodied her yellow hair a little abon her bree.
And she's tae her faether's ha'
as fast as she can he.
There were four and twenty ladies gay
Were playin' up the bau,
In and come the fair young Janet,
Youngst the fluer amang teh a'.
Up then spak an old gray knight,
Lay aur the castle wa',
And says 'Alas, fair Janet for thee,
but we'll be blam-ed a'!'
'Ah, hold yer tongue, you old faced knight!
Some eldeth may ye be
Father my bairn on who I will
I'll father nane on thee!'
Up then spak her father dear
and he spak meek and mild
'And ever alas, sweet Janet,' he said
'I think thy gaes wi' child.'
'If that I gae wi' child, faether
myself mon bear the blame
There's ne'er a laird aboot yair ha'
shall get the bairnie's name
If my love were an earthly knight
as he's an elphin gray
I would na' gei my ain true love
for nae law that ye hae.'
The steed that my true love rides on
is lighter then the wind
Wi' sorrow he has sow befor'
Wi burnin' gold behin.'
Janet has kilted her green kettle just a little
abon her knee,
And she has snodied her yellow hair a little abon her bree.
And she's awa to Carterhaugh
as fast as she can be.
And when she came to Carterhaugh
Tam Lin was at the well
And there she found his steed standin'
But awa' was he himsel'
She had not pulled the scathing tree,
A leaf but only twae,
When up and started young Tam Lin,
Said 'Lady, pull nae mare!'
'Why pulls the scathing tree, Janet?
amang the groves so green!
and a' to kill the bonny babe
that we got us between!'
'Oh tell me, tell me Tam Lin,' she said
f' the sake that died on tree,
If e'er you once were mortal knight
Or mortal hall did see?'
'Roxbough, he was my grandfather
took me with him to bide
And yonce befell on me a day
that weighed on me be'tide.'
'And yonce befell on me a day
a cold day, and a snell,
When we were thray the hunting came
that 'frae my did fell.
The Queen of Faeries, she caught me
and yon brought me to dwell.'
'But tonight is Hallow'een, lady
The morn is Hallow Day
Then win me, win me, and ye well
for will I what ye may.'
'Just at the murk and midnight hour,
the Faery Folk will ride
An' they that would their true love win
At Miles Cross they must bide!'
'But how shall I thee ken, Tan Lin
or how my true love know
amang so many uncou' knights
the like I ne'er saw?'
'Oh first let pass the black, lady
an' sae let pass the brown,
But quickly run to the milk white steed
Pull ye the rider down.'
For I'll ride on a milk white steed
an' I nearest the town
because I was an earthly knight
they gee me that renown.'
'My right hand will be gloved, lady,
my left hand will be bare
Cock-ed up shall my bonnet be
an' cae doon shall my hair.
An' they's the tokens I gi' thee
Nae doot I will be there!'
'First they'll change me in your arms
Into some snake or adder,
Hold me close and fear me not,
For I'm your child's father.'
'Then they'll turn me in your arms
Into a lion wild,
Hold me close and fear me not
As you would hold your child.'
'Then they'll turn me in your arms
Into a red hot bar of iron,
Hold me close and fear me not
For I will do no harm.'
'Then they'll turn me in your arms
Into some burning lead,
Throw me into well water
And throw me in with speed.'
'Last they'll turn me in your arms
Into a naked knight
Wrap me up in your green mantle,
And hide me close from sight.'
So well she did what he did say
She did her true love win,
She wrapped him up in her mantle,
As blythe as any bird in Spring.
Up and spake the Faery Queen,
And angry cried she,
'If I'd have known of this Tam Lin,
Thatsome lady'd borrowed thee,
If I had known of this Tam Lin,
That some lady borrowed thee,
I'd have plucked out thine eyes of flesh
And put in eyes from a tree!
If I'd have known of this Tam Lin,
Before we came from home,
I'd have plucked out thine heart of flesh
And put in a heart of stone!'
This music is 'Tam Lin', sequenced by Yuval Mann.