Classic Poem

" O wha will lace my shoes sae small?
An' wha will glove my hand?
Or wha will lace my middle sae jimp
With my new made linen band?

" Wha will trim my yellow hair
With my new siller kame?
An' wha will father my young son
Till Lord Gregory comes hame? "

" Your father will lace your shoes sae small;
Your mother will glove your hand;
Your sister will lace your middle sae jimp
With your new made linen band;

" Your brother will trim your yellow hair
With a new made siller kame;
An' the king o heaven will father your son
Till Lord Gregory comes hame. "

" But I will get a bonnie boat,
An' I will sail the sea,
For I maun gang to Lord Gregory,
Since he canna come hame to me. "

She has gotten a bonnie boat,
An' sailed upon the main;
She langed to see her ain true love,
Since he could nae come hame.

" O row your boat, my mariners,
An' bring me to the land,
For yonder I see my love's castle
Close by the saut sea strand. "

She's taen her young son in her airms,
An' to the door she's gane,
An' lang she knocked an' sair she ca'd,
But answer she got nane.

" O open the door, Lord Gregory,
O open an' lat me in,
For the wind blaws through my yellow hair,
An' I'm shiverin to the chin. "

" Awa, awa, ye wile woman,
Some ill death may ye dee:
Ye're but some witch or wile warlock
Or mermaid o the sea. "

" I'm neither a witch or wile warlock,
Nor mermaid o the sea;
But I'm fair Annie o Rough Royal,
O open the door to me. "

" Gin ye be Annie o Rough Royal,
As I trust ye canna be,
Now tell me some o the love tokens
That passed between you an' me. "

" O dinna ye mind, Lord Gregory,
When ye sat at the wine,
Ye changed the rings fae our fingers?
An' I can show ye thine.

" For yours was good an' very good,
But aye the best was mine;
For yours was o the good red gold,
But mine the diamonds fine.

" Don't ye mind, Lord Gregory,
By bonnie Irwine side,
When first I owned that virgin love
I lang lang had denied?

" O don't ye mind, Lord Gregory,
When in my father's ha',
'Twas there ye got your will o me,
An' that was worst o a'? "

" Awa, awa, ye wile woman,
For here ye sanna win in;
Gae drown ye in the ragin sea,
Or hang on the gallows pin. "

When the cock did craw, an' the day did daw,
An' the sun began to peep,
Then up did rise Lord Gregory,
An' sair sair did he weep.

" I dreamed a dream, my mither dear,
The thought o't gars me greet;
I dreamed fair Annie o Rough Royal
Lay caul deid at my feet. "

" Gin it be for Annie o Rough Royal
That ye mak a' this din,
She stood a' last night at our door,
But I think I letna her in. "

" O wae betide ye, ill woman,
Some ill death may ye dee,
That ye wadna hae latten poor Annie in,
Or else hae wauken'd me. "

He's gane down to yon sea shore
As fast as he could fare:
He saw fair Annie in her boat,
An' the wind it tossed her sair.

" Hey bonnie Annie, an' How bonnie Annie,
O Annie, winna ye bide? " —
But aye the mair bonnie Annie he cried,
The rougher grew the tide.

" Hey bonnie Annie, an' How bonnie Annie,
O winna ye speak to me? " —
But aye the mair bonnie Annie he cried,
The rougher grew the sea.

The wind blew loud, an' the sea grew rough,
An' the boat was dashed on shore;
Fair Annie floats upon the sea,
But her young son rose no more.

Lord Gregory tore his yellow hair,
An' made a heavy moan:
Fair Annie's corpse lay at his feet,
But his bonnie young son was gone.

First he kissed her cherry cheeks,
An' next he kissed her chin,
An' saftly pressed her rosy lips
That there was not breath within.

" O wae betide ye, cruel mother,
An ill death may ye dee,
For ye turned my true love fae my door,
When she came sae far to me. "