Delphi Poetry Anthology: The World's Greatest Poems (Delphi Poets Series Book 50) (63 page)

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 ran 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 k
ing,
 
our liffes and saftyes all!
A woefull hunting once there did
 
in Cheuy Chase befall.

To dr
i
ue the deere with hound and horne
  
5
 
Erle Pearcy took the way:
The child may rue
that
is vnborne
 
the hunting of
tha
t day!

The stout Erle of Northumberland
 
a vow to God did make
  
10
His pleasure in the Scottish woods
 
three som
m
ers 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 pr
e
sent word
 
he would pr
e
vent his sport;
The English erle, not fearing that,
 
did to the woods resort,
  
20

W
i
th 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 w
i
th speciall care
  
35
 
tha
t day were guarded sure.

The hounds ran swiftly through the woods
 
the nimble deere to take,
That wi
th their cryes the hills and dales
 
an eccho shrill did make.
  
40

Lord Pearcy to the querry went
 
to view the tender deere;
Q
u
oth he, “Erle Douglas p
r
omised once
 
this day to meete me heere;

“But if I thought he wold not come,
  
45
 
noe longer wold I stay.”
W
i
th
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 yo
u
r sportts!” Erle Pearcy said,
  
55
 
“and take y
our
bowes w
i
th speede.

“And now w
i
th me, my countrymen,
 
yo
u
r courage forth advance!
For there was neuer champion yett,
 
in Scottland nor in Ffrance,
  
60

“Tha
t eu
e
r did on horsbacke come,
 
[but], and if my hap it were,
I durst encounter man for man,
 
w
i
th 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
 
tha
t hunt soe boldly heere,
  
70
Tha
t w
i
thout 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,

“Tha
t ere my captaine fought on foote,
 
and I stand looking on.
You bee two Erles,” q
uo
th Witherington,
 
“and I a squier alone;
  
100

“I’le doe the best
tha
t doe I may,
 
while I haue power to stand;
While I haue power to weeld my sword,
 
I’lt fight w
i
th 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 w
i
th hound and horne,
 
Douglas bade on the bent;
  
110
Two captaines moued w
i
th mickle might,
 
their speres to shiuers went.

They closed full fast on eu
er
ye 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
 
w
i
th 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 k
ing.

“Thy ransome I will freely giue,
 
and this report of thee,
Thou art the most couragious k
night
  
135
 
[that ever I did see.]”

“Noe, Douglas!” q
uo
th Erle Percy then,
 
“thy p
ro
fer I doe scorne;
I will not yeelde to any Scott
 
that
eu
er
yett was borne!”
  
140

W
i
th
th
at there came an arrow keene,
 
out of an English bow,
Which stroke Erle Douglas on the brest
 
a deepe and deadlye blow.

Who neu
er
sayd more words than these;
  
145
 
“Fight on, my merry men all!
For why, my life is att [an] end,
 
lo
rd
Pearcy sees my fall.”

Then leauing liffe, Erle Pearcy tooke
 
the dead man by the hand;
  
150
Who said, “Erle Dowglas, for thy life,
 
Wold I had lost my land!

“O Christ! my verry hart doth bleed
 
for sorrow for thy sake,
For sure, a more redoubted k
night
  
155
 
mischance cold neu
er
take.”

A k
nigh
t amongst the Scotts there was
 
whi
ch saw Erle Douglas dye,
Who streight in hart did vow revenge
 
vpon the Lord Pearcye.
  
160

S
ir
Hugh Mountgomerye was he called,
 
who, w
i
th a spere full bright,
Well mounted on a gallant steed,
 
ran feircly through the fight,

And past the English archers all,
  
165
 
w
i
thout all dread or feare,
And through Erle Percyes body then
 
he thrust his hatfull spere.

W
i
th such a vehement force and might
 
his body he did gore,
  
170
The staff ran through the other side
 
a large cloth-yard and more.

Thus did both those nobles dye,
 
whose courage none cold staine;
An English archer then p
er
ceiued
  
175
 
the noble erle was slaine.

He had [a] good bow in his hand,
 
made of a trusty tree;
An arrow of a cloth-yard long
 
to the hard head haled hee.
  
180

Against S
i
r Hugh Mountgomerye
 
his shaft full right he sett;
The grey-goose-winge
tha
t was there-on
 
in his harts bloode was wett.

This fight from breake of day did last
  
185
 
till setting of the sun,
For when the rung the euening-bell
 
the battele scarse was done.

W
i
th stout Erle Percy there was slaine
 
S
i
r Iohn of Egerton,
  
190
S
i
r Rob
er
t Harcliffe and S
i
r William,
 
S
i
r Iames, that bold barron.

And with S
i
r George and S
i
r Iames,
 
both k
nigh
ts of good account,
Good S
i
r Raphe Rebbye there was slaine,
  
195
 
whose prowesse did surmount.

For Witherington needs must I wayle
 
as one in dolefull dumpes,
For when his leggs were smitten of,
 
he fought vpon his stumpes.
  
200

And w
i
th Erle Dowglas there was slaine
 
S
i
r Hugh Mountgomerye,
And S
i
r Charles Morrell,
that
from feelde
 
one foote wold neu
er
flee;