ANNAN WATER. "ANNAN water's wading deep, " And my love Annie's wondrous bonny; "And I am laith she suld weet her feet, " Because I love her best of ony. "Gar saddle me the bonny black; " Gar saddle sune, and make him ready: "For I will down the Gatehope-slack, " And all to see my bonny ladye." He has loupen on the bonny black, He stirr'd him wi' the spur right sairly; But, or he wan the Gatehope-slack, I think the steed was wae and weary. He has loupen on the bonny gray, He rade the right gate and the ready; I trow he would neither stint nor stay, For he was seeking his bonny ladye. O he has ridden ower field and fell, "Now, bonny gray, now play your part! "Gin ye be the steed that wins my deary, "Wi' corn and hay ye'se be fed for aye, " And never spur sall make you wearie." The gray was a mare, and a right good mare; Had a thousand merks been wadded * at her. "O boatman, boatman, put off your boat! * Wadded-Wagered. “ΟΙ was sworn sae late yestreen, The side was stey, and the bottom deep, O he has pou'd aff his dapperpy* coat, He has ta'en the ford at that stream tail; I wot he swam both strong and steady; But the stream was broad, and his strength did fail, And he never saw his bonny ladye. "O wae betide the frush + saugh wand! "And wae betide the bush of briar! "It brake into my true love's hand, "When his strength did fail, and his limbs did tire. * Quare-Cap-a-pee? + Frush-Brittle. "And wae betide ye, Annan water, "This night that ye are a drumlie river! "For over thee I'll build a bridge, "That ye never more true love may sever." THE CRUEL SISTER. THIS ballad differs essentially from that which has been published in various collections, under the title of Binnorie. It is compiled from a copy in Mrs Brown's MSS., intermixed with a beautiful fragment, of fourteen verses, transmitted to the editor by J. C. Walker, Esq. the ingenious historian of the Irish bards. Mr Walker, at the same time, favoured the editor with the following note :"I am indebted to my departed friend, Miss Brook, for "the foregoing pathetic fragment. Her account of it was " as follows: This song was transcribed, several years ago, " from the memory of an old woman, who had no recol"lection of the concluding verses: probably the begin" ning may also be lost, as it seems to commence abrupt"ly." The first verse and burden of the fragment run thus: O sister, sister, reach thy hand! |