by Homer
“O l’ve been porter at your gates
This mair nor seven years an three,
But there is a lady at them now
The like of whom I never did see.
“For on every finger she has a ring, 65
An on the mid-finger she has three,
An there’s as meikle goud aboon her brow
As woud buy an earldome o lan to me.”
Then up it started Young Bicham,
An sware so loud by Our Lady, 70
“It can be nane but Shusy Pye,
That has come oer the sea to me.”
O quickly ran he down the stair,
O fifteen steps he has made but three;
He’s tane his bonny love in his arms, 75
An a wot he kissed her tenderly.
“O hae you taen a bonny bride?
An hae you quite forsaken me?
An hae ye quite forgotten her
That gae you life an liberty?” 80
She’s lookit oer her left shoulder
To hide the tears stood in her ee;
“Now fare thee well, Young Bicham” she says,
“I’ll strive to think nae mair on thee.”
“Take back your daughter, madam,” he says, 85
“An a double dowry I’ll gi her wi;
For I maun marry my first true love,
That’s done and suffered so much for me.”
He’s take his bonny love by the han,
And led her to yon fountain stane; 90
He’s changd her name frae Shusy Pye,
An he’s cald her his bonny love, Lady Jane.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Get Up and Bar the Door
Traditional Ballads
IT fell about the Martinmas time,
And a gay time it was then,
When our good wife got puddings to make,
And she’s boild them in the pan.
The wind sae cauld blew south and north, 5
And blew into the floor;
Quoth our goodman to our goodwife,
“Gae out and bar the door.”
“My hand is in my hussyfskap,
Goodman, as ye may see; 10
An it shoud nae be barrd this hundred year,
It’s no be barrd for me.”
They made a paction tween them twa,
They made it firm and sure,
That the first word whaeer shoud speak, 15
Shoud rise and bar the door.
Then by there came two gentlemen,
At twelve o’clock at night,
And they could neither see house nor hall,
Nor coal nor candle-light. 20
“Now whether is this a rich man’s house,
Or whether is it a poor?”
But neer a word wad ane o them speak,
For barring of the door.
And first they ate the white puddings, 25
And then they ate the black;
Tho muckle thought the goodwife to hersel,
Yet neer a word she spake.
Then said the one unto the other,
“Here, man, tak ye my knife; 30
Do ye tak aff the auld man’s beard,
And I’ll kiss the goodwife.”
“But there’s nae water in the house,
And what shall we do than?”
“What ails thee at the pudding-broo, 35
That boils into the pan?”
O up then started our goodman,
An angry man was he:
“Will ye kiss my wife before my een,
And scad me wi pudding-bree?” 40
Then up and started our goodwife,
Gied three skips on the floor:
“Goodman, you’ve spoken the foremost word,
Get up and bar the door.”
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
The Battle of Otterburn
Traditional Ballads
IT fell about the Lammus time,
When the muir-men won their hay,
That the doughty Earl Douglas went
Into England to catch a prey.
He chose the Gordons and the Graemes, 5
With the Lindsays light and gay;
But the Jardines wadna wi him ride,
And they rued it to this day.
And he has burnt the dales o Tine
And part of Almonshire. 10
And three good towers on Roxburgh fells
He left them all on fire.
Then he marched up to Newcastle,
And rode it round about:
“O whae’s the lord of this castle, 15
Or whae’s the lady o’t?”
But up spake proud Lord Piercy then,
And O but he spake hie!
“I am the lord of this castle,
And my wife’s the lady gaye.” 20
“If you are lord of this castle,
Sae weel it pleases me;
For ere I cross the borden again
The ane of us shall die.”
He took a lang speir in his hand, 25
Was made of the metal free,
And for to meet the Douglas then
He rode most furiously.
But O how pale his lady lookd,
Frae off the castle wa, 30
When down before the Scottish spear
She saw brave Piercy fa!
How pale and wan his lady lookd,
Frae off the castle hieght,
When she beheld her Piercy yield 35
To Doughty Douglas’ might!
“Had we twa been upon the green,
And never an eye to see,
I should have had ye flesh and fell;
But your sword shall gae wi me.” 40
“But gae you up to Otterburn,
And there wait dayes three,
And if I come not ere three days’ end
A fause lord ca ye me.”
“The Otterburn’s a bonny burn, 45
’Tis pleasant there to be,
But there is naught at Otterburn
To feed my men and me.
“The deer rins wild owr hill and dale,
The birds fly wild frae tree to tree, 50
And there is neither bread nor kale
To fend my men and me.
“But I will stay at Otterburn,
Where you shall welcome be;
And if ye come not at three days’ end 55
A coward I’ll ca thee.”
“Then gae your ways to Otterburn,
And there wait dayes three;
And if I come not ere three days’ end
A coward ye’s ca me.” 60
They lighted high on Otterburn,
Upon the bent so brown,
They lighted high on Otterburn,
And threw their pallions down.
And he that had a bonny boy 65
Sent his horses to grass,
And he that had not a bonny boy,
His ain servant he was.
But up then spak a little page,
Before the peep of the dawn; 70
“O waken ye, waken ye, my good lord,
For Piercy’s hard at hand!”
“Ye lie, ye lie, ye loud liar,
Sae loud I hear ye lie!
The Piercy hadna men yestreen 75
To dight my men and me.
“But I have seen a dreary dream;
Beyond the isle o Sky;
I saw a dead man won the fight,
And I think that man was I.” 80
He belted on his good broad-sword
And to the field he ran,
Where he met wi the proud Piercy,
And a’ his goodly train.
When Piercy wi the Douglas met, 85
I wat he was right keen;
They swakked their swords till sair they swat,
And the blood r
an them between.
But Piercy wi his good broad-sword,
Was made o the metal free, 90
Has wounded Douglas on the brow
Till backward he did flee.
Then he calld on his little page,
And said, Run speedily,
And bring my ain dear sister’s son, 95
Sir Hugh Montgomery.
[Who, when he saw the Douglas bleed,
His heart was wonder wae:
“Now, by my sword, that haughty lord
Shall rue before he gae.” 100
“My nephew bauld,” the Douglas said,
“What boots the death of ane?
Last night I dreamed a dreary dream,
And I ken the day’s thy ain.
“I dreamd I saw a battle fought 105
Beyond the isle o Sky,
When lo! a dead man wan the field,
And I thought that man was I.
“My wound is deep, I fain wad sleep,
Nae mair I’ll fighting see; 110
Gae lay me in the breaken bush
That grows on yonder lee.
“But tell na ane of my brave men
That I lye bleeding wan,
But let the name of Douglas still 115
Be shouted in the van.
“And bury me here on this lee,
Beneath the blooming briar,
And never let a mortal ken
A kindly Scot lyes here.” 120
He liftit up that noble lord,
Wi the saut tear in his ee,
And hid him in the breaken bush,
On yonder lily lee.
The moon was clear, the day drew near, 125
The spears in flinters flew,
But mony gallant Englishman
Ere day the Scotsman slew.
Sir Hugh Montgomery he rode
Thro all the field in sight, 130
And loud the name of Douglas still
He urgd wi a’ his might.
The Gordons good, in English blood
They steeped their hose and shoon,
The Lindsays flew like fire about, 135
Till a’ the fray was doon.]
When stout Sir Hugh wi Piercy met,
I wat he was right fain;
They swakked their swords till sair they swat,
And the blood ran down like rain. 140
“O yield thee, Piercy,” said Sir Hugh,
“O yield, or ye shall die!”
“Fain wad I yield,” proud Piercy said,
“But neer to loun like thee.”
“Thou shalt not yield to knave nor loun, 145
Nor shalt thou yield to me;
But yield thee to the breaken bush
That grows on yonder lee.”
“I will not yield to bush or brier,
Nor will I yield to thee; 150
But I will yield to Lord Douglas,
Or sir Hugh Montgomery.”
[When Piercy knew it was Sir Hugh,
He fell low on his knee,
But soon he raisd him up again, 155
Wi mickle courtesy.]
He left not an Englishman on the field
. . . . . . .
That he hadna either killd or taen
Ere his heart’s blood was cauld.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Chevy Chase
Traditional Ballads
GOD prosper long our noble king,
our liffes and saftyes all!
A woefull hunting once there did
in Cheuy Chase befall.
To driue the deere with hound and horne 5
Erle Pearcy took the way:
The child may rue that is vnborne
the hunting of that day!
The stout Erle of Northumberland
a vow to God did make 10
His pleasure in the Scottish woods
three sommers days to take,
The cheefest harts in Cheuy C[h]ase
to kill and beare away:
These tydings to Erle Douglas came 15
in Scottland, where he lay.
Who sent Erle Pearcy present word
he would prevent his sport;
The English erle, not fearing that,
did to the woods resort, 20
With fifteen hundred bowmen bold,
All chosen men of might,
Who knew ffull well in time of neede
to ayme their shafts arright.
The gallant greyhound[s] swiftly ran 25
to chase the fallow deere;
On Munday they began to hunt,
ere daylight did appeare.
And long before high noone the had
a hundred fat buckes slaine; 30
Then hauing dined, the drouyers went
to rouze the deare againe.
The bowmen mustered on the hills,
well able to endure;
Theire backsids all with speciall care 35
that day were guarded sure.
The hounds ran swiftly through the woods
the nimble deere to take,
That with their cryes the hills and dales
an eccho shrill did make. 40
Lord Pearcy to the querry went
to view the tender deere;
Quoth he, “Erle Douglas promised once
this day to meete me heere;
“But if I thought he wold not come, 45
noe longer wold I stay.”
With that a braue younge gentlman
thus to the erle did say:
“Loe, yonder doth Erle Douglas come,
hys men in armour bright; 50
Full twenty hundred Scottish speres
all marching in our sight.
“All men of pleasant Tiuydale,
fast by the riuer Tweede:”
“O ceaze your sportts!” Erle Pearcy said, 55
“and take your bowes with speede.
“And now with me, my countrymen,
your courage forth advance!
For there was neuer champion yett,
in Scottland nor in Ffrance, 60
“That euer did on horsbacke come,
[but], and if my hap it were,
I durst encounter man for man,
with him to break a spere.”
Erle Douglas on his milke-white steede, 65
most like a baron bold,
Rode formost of his company,
whose armor shone like gold.
“Shew me,” sayd hee, “whose men you bee
that hunt soe boldly heere, 70
That without my consent doe chase
and kill my fallow deere.”
The first man that did answer make
was noble Pearcy hee,
Who sayd, “Wee list not to declare 75
nor shew whose men wee bee;
“Yett wee will spend our deerest blood
thy cheefest harts to slay.”
Then Douglas swore a solempne oathe,
and thus in rage did say: 80
“Ere thus I will outbraued bee,
one of vs tow shall dye;
I know thee well, an erle thou art;
Lord Pearcy, soe am I.
“But trust me, Pearcye, pittye it were, 85
and great offence, to kill
Then any of these our guiltlesse men,
for they haue done none ill.
“Let thou and I the battell trye,
and set our men aside:” 90
“Accurst bee [he!]” Erle Pearcye sayd,
“by whome it is denyed.”
Then stept a gallant squire forth —
Witherington was his name —
Who said, “I wold not haue it told 95
To Henery our King, for shame,
“That ere my captaine fought on foote,
and I stand looking on.
You bee two Erles,” quoth Witherington,
&nbs
p; “and I a squier alone; 100
“I’le doe the best that doe I may,
while I haue power to stand;
While I haue power to weeld my sword,
I’lt fight with hart and hand.”
Our English archers bent their bowes; 105
their harts were good and trew;
Att the first flight of arrowes sent,
full foure score Scotts the slew.
To driue the deere with hound and horne,
Douglas bade on the bent; 110
Two captaines moued with mickle might,
their speres to shiuers went.
They closed full fast on euerye side
noe slackness there was found,
But many a gallant gentleman 115
lay gasping on the ground.
O Christ! it was great greeue to see
how eche man chose his spere,
And how the blood out of their brests
did gush like water cleare. 120
At last these two stout erles did meet,
like captaines of great might;
Like lyons woode they layd on lode;
the made a cruell fight.
The fought vntil they both did sweat, 125
with swords of tempered steele,
Till blood downe their cheekes like raine
the trickling downe did feele.
“O yeeld thee, Pearcye!” Douglas sayd,
“And in faith I will thee bringe 130
Where thou shall high advanced bee
by Iames our Scottish king.