Early Modern Ballads
Sir Patrick Spens
The king sits in Dumferling town,
Drinking the blude-reid wine:blood-red
"0 whar will I get guide sailor,good
To sail this ship of mine
Up and spak an eldern knicht,spoke
Sat at the king's richt knee:
"Sir Patrick Spens is the best sailor
That sails upon the sea.
The king has written a braid letter
And signed it wi' his hand,
And sent it to Sir Patrick Spens,
Was walking on the sand.
The first line that Sir Patrick read,
A loud lauch lauched he;laugh
The next line that Sir Patrick read,
The tear blinded his ee.eye
"0 wha is this has done this deed,
This ill deed done to me,
To send me out this time 0' the year,
To sail upon the sea
"Mak haste, mak haste, my mirry men all,
Our guid ship sails the morn.
"0 say na sae, my master dear,so
For I fear a deadly storm.
Late, late yestreen I saw the new Moon,
Wi' the auld moon in hir arm,
And I fear, I fear, my dear master,
That we will come to harm.
O our Scots nobles were richt laithloath
To weet their cork-heeled shoon,wet / shoes
But lang ore a' the play were playedbefore
Their hats they swam aboon.'
o lang, lang may their ladies sit,long
Wi' their fans into their hand,
Or ere they see Sir Patrick Spens
Come sailing to the land.
O lang, lang may the ladies stand
Wi' their gold kerns in their hair,combs
Waiting for their ain dear lords,
For they'll see them na mair.
Half o'er, half o'er to Aberdour
It's fifty fadom deep,
And there lies guid Sir Patrick Spens
Wi' the Scots lords at his feet.