Love

Lizie Lindsay (Child 226)

by Traditional Ballads (Child collection) traditional; texts recorded c. 13th–19th century

From The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, ed. F. J. Child (1882–98)

Love

Out it spake Lizee Linzee,
The tear blinket in her ee;
How can I leave father and mother,
Along with young Donald to gae!

Out spoke Lizee’s young handmaid,
A bonny young lassie was she;
Said, Were I heress to a kingdom,
Along with young Donald I’d ga.

‘O say ye so to me, Nelly?
O say ye so to me?
Must I leave Edinburgh city,
To the high Highland to gae?’

Out spoke Lizie’s own mother,
A good old lady was she;
If you speak such a word to my dochter,
I’ll gar hang [you] hi.

‘Keep well your dochter from me, madam.
Keep well your dochter fa me;
For I care as little for your dochter
As ye can care for me.’

The road grew wetty and dubby,
And Lizee began to think lang;
Said, I wish had staid with my mother,
And nae wi young Donald had gane.

‘You’r welcome hame, Sir Donald,
You’r thrice welcome to me;
You’r welcome hame, Sir Donald,
And your young lady you wi.’

‘Ye call na me Sir Donald,
But ca me Donald your son.’

‘Rise up, Lizee Linzee,
You [have] lain too long in the day;
Ye might have helped my mother
To milch her goats and her kie.’

Out it spake Lizee Linzee,
The tear blinket in her eye;
‘The ladys of Edinburgh city,
They neither milch goats nor kie.’

MLA

Traditional Ballads (Child collection). “Lizie Lindsay (Child 226).” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/child-ballads/753/.

Chicago

Traditional Ballads (Child collection). “Lizie Lindsay (Child 226).” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/child-ballads/753/.

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