Delphi Poetry Anthology: The World's Greatest Poems (Delphi Poets Series Book 50) (58 page)
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Authors: Homer,William Shakespeare
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Bot now forth over I beseche
That ye more of my schrifte seche.
Mi goode Sone, it schal be do:
Now herkne and ley an Ere to;
For as touchende of Prides fare,
Als ferforth as I can declare
In cause of vice, in cause of love,
That hast thou pleinly herd above,
So that ther is nomor to seie
Touchende of that; bot other weie
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Touchende Envie I thenke telle,
Which hath the propre kinde of helle,
Withoute cause to misdo
Toward himself and othre also,
Hierafterward as understonde
Thou schalt the spieces, as thei stonde.
Explicit Liber Primus
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Traditional Ballads
“RISE up, rise up, now, Lord Douglas,” she says,
“And put on your armour so bright,
Let it never be said that a daughter of thine
Was married to a lord under night.
“Rise up, rise up, my seven bold sons,
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And put on your armour so bright,
And take better care of your youngest sister.
For your eldest’s awa the last night.”
He’s mounted her on a milk-white steed,
And himself on a dapple grey,
10
With a bugelet horn hung down by his side,
And lightly they rode away.
Lord William lookit oer his left shoulder,
To see what he could see,
And there he spy’d her seven brethren bold,
15
Come riding over the lee.
“Light down, light down, Lady Margret,” he said,
“And hold my steed in your hand,
Until that against your seven brethren bold,
And your father I mak a stand.”
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She held his steed in her milk-white hand,
And never shed one tear,
Until that she saw her seven brethren fa,
And her father hard fighting, who lovd her so dear.
“O hold your hand, Lord William!” she said,
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“For your strokes they are wondrous sair;
True lovers I can get many a ane,
But a father I can never get mair.”
O she’s taen out her handkerchief,
It was o the holland sae fine,
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And aye she dighted her father’s bloody wounds,
That were redder than the wine.
“O chuse, O chuse, Lady Margret,” he said,
“O whether will ye gang or bide?”
“I’ll gang, I’ll gang, Lord William,” she said,
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“For ye have left me no other guide.”
He’s lifted her on a milk-white steed,
And himself on a dapple grey,
With a bugelet horn hung down by his side,
And slowly they baith rade away.
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O they rade on, and on they rade,
And a’ by the light of the moon,
Until they came to yon wan water,
And there they lighted down.
They lighted down to tak a drink
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Of the spring that ran sae clear,
And down the stream ran his gude heart’s blood,
And sair she gan to fear.
“Hold up, hold up, Lord William,” she says,
“For I fear that you are slain;”
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“’Tis naething but the shadow of my scarlet cloak,
That shines in the water sae plain.”
O they rade on, and on they rade,
And a’ by the light of the moon,
Until they cam to his mother’s ha door,
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And there they lighted down.
“Get up, get up, lady mother,” he says,
“Get up, and let me in!
Get up, get up, lady mother,” he says,
“For this night my fair lady I’ve win.
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“O mak my bed, lady mother,” he says,
“O make it braid and deep,
And lay lady Margret close at my back,
And the sounder I will sleep.”
Lord William was dead lang ere midnight,
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Lady Margret lang ere day,
And all true lovers that go thegither,
May they have mair luck than they!
Lord William was buried in St. Mary’s kirk,
Lady Margret in Mary’s quire;
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Out o the lady’s grave grew a bonny red rose,
And out o the knight’s a brier.
And they twa met, and they twa plat,
And fain they wad be near;
And a’ the warld might ken right weel
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They were twa lovers dear.
But bye and rade the Black Douglas,
And wow but he was rough!
For he pulld up the bonny brier,
And Flang’t in St. Mary’s Loch.
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List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Traditional Ballads
THERE was twa sisters in a bowr,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
There was twa sisters in a bowr,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
There was twa sisters in a bowr,
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There came a knight to be their wooer,
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie.
He courted the eldest wi glove an ring,
But he lovd the youngest above a’ thing.
He courted the eldest wi brotch an knife,
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But lovd the Youngest as his life.
The eldest she was vexed sair,
An much envi’d her sister fair.
Into her bowr she could not rest,
Wi grief an spite she almos brast.
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Upon a morning fair an clear,
She cried upon her sister dear:
“O sister, come to yon sea stran,
An see our father’s ships come to lan.”
She’s taen her by the milk-white han,
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And led her down to yon sea stran.
The younges[t] stood upon a stane,
The eldest came an threw her in.
She tooke her by the middle sma,
And dashd her bonny back to the jaw.
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“O sister, sister, tak my han,
An Ise mack you heir to a’ my lan.
“O sister, sister, tak my middle,
An Yes get my goud and my gouden girdle.
“O sister, sister, save my life,
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An I swear Ise never be nae man’s wife.”
“Foul fa the han that I should tacke,
It twin’ d me an my wardles make.
“Your cherry cheeks an yallow hair
Gars me gae maiden for evermair.”
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Sometimes she sank, an sometimes she swam,
Till she came down yon bonny mill-dam.
O out it came the miller’s son,
An saw the fair maid swimmin in.
“O father, father, draw your dam,
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Here’s either a mermaid or a swan.”
The miller quickly drew the dam,
An there he found a drownd woman.
You coudna see her yallow hair
For gold and pearle that were so rare.
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You coudna see her middle sma
For gouden girdle that was sae braw.
You coudna see her fingers white,
For gouden rings that was sae gryte.
An by there came a harper fine,
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That harped to the king at dine.
When he did look that lady upon,
He sighd and made a heavy moan.
He’s taen three locks o her yallow hair,
An wi them strung his harp sae fair.
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The first tune he did play and sing,
Was, “Farewell to my father the king.”
The nextin tune that he playd syne,
Was, “Farewell to my mother the queen.”
The lasten tune that he playd then,
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Was, “Wae to my sister, fair Ellen.”
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Traditional Ballads
“WHY dois your brand sae drap wi bluid,
Edward, Edward,
Why dois your brand sae drap wi bluid,
And why sae sad gang yee O?”
“O I hae killed my hauke sae guid,
5
Mither, mither,
O I hae killed my hauke sae guid,
And I had nae mair bot hee O.”
“Your haukis bluid was nevir sae reid,
Edward, Edward,
10
Your haukis bluid was nevir sae reid,
My deir son I tell thee O.”
“O I hae killed my reid-roan steid,
Mither, mither,
O I hae killed my reid-roan steid,
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That erst was sae fair and frie O.”
“Your steid was auld, and ye hae gat mair,
Edward, Edward,
Your steid was auld, and ye hae gat mair,
Sum other dule ye drie O.”
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“O I hae killed my fadir deir,
Mither, mither,
O I hae killed my fadir deir,
Alas, and wae is mee O!”
“And whatten penance wul ye drie for that,
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Edward, Edward,
And whatten penance will ye drie for that?
My deir son, now tell me O.”
“Ile set my feit in yonder boat,
Mither, mither,
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Ile set my feit in yonder boat,
And Ile fare ovir the sea O.”
“And what wul ye doe wi your towirs and your ha,
Edward, Edward?
And what wul you doe wi your towirs and your ha,
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That were sae fair to see O?”
“Ile let thame stand tul they doun fa,
Mither, mither,
Ile let thame stand till they down fa,
For here nevir mair maun I bee O.”
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“And what wul ye leive to your bairns and your wife,
Edward, Edward?
And what wul ye leive to your bairns and your wife,
Whan ye gang ovir the sea O?”
“The warldis room, late them beg thrae life,
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Mither, mither,
The warldis room, late them beg thrae life,
For thame nevir mair wul I see O.”
“And what wul ye leive to your ain mither deir,
Edward, Edward?
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And what wul ye leive to your ain mither deir?
My deir son, now tell me O.”
“The curse of hell frae me sall ye beir,
Mither, mither,
The curse of hell frae me sall ye beir,
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Sic counseils ye gave to me O.”
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order