Riders of the Sidhe by John Duncan
The King forbade his maidens a'
That
wore gold in their hair
To
come and go by Carterhaugh,
For
the young Tam Lin is there.
And those that go by Carterhaugh
From
them he takes a wad,
Either
their rings or green mantles
Or
else their maidenheads!
So Janet has kilted her green mantle
Just
a little above her knee,
And
she has gone to Carterhaugh
Just
as fast as she could flee.
She had not pulled a double rose,
A
rose but three or four,
When
up and spoke this young Tam Lin,
Crying
'Lady, pull no more!'
'How dare you pull those flowers!
How
dare you break those wands!
How
dare you come to Carterhaugh
Withouten
my command?'
She says, 'Carterhaugh it is my own
My
Father gave it me,
And
I will come and go by here
Withouten
any leave of thee!'
There were four and twenty ladies gay
All
sitting down at chess,
In
and come the fair Janet,
As
pale as any glass.
Up and spake her father dear,
He
spake up meek and mild,
'Oh
alas, Janet,' he cried,
'I
fear you go with child!'
'And if I go with child,
It
is myself to blame!
There's
not a lord in all your hall
Shall
give my child his name!'
Janet
has kilted her green mantle
Just
a little above her knee,
And
she has gone to Carterhaugh
For
to pull the scathing tree.
'How
dare you pull that herb
All
among the leaves so green
For
to kill the bonny babe
That
we got us between!'
'You
must tell to me Tam Lin,
Ah
you must tell to me,
Were
you once a mortal knight
Or
mortal hall did see?'
'I
was once a mortal knight
I
was hunting here one day,
I
did fall from off my horse,
The
Fairy Queen stole me away.
'And
pleasant is the Fairy Land
But
a strange tale I'll tell,
For
at the end of seven years
They
pay a fine to Hell.
'At
the end of seven years
They
pay a fine to Hell,
And
I so fair and full of flesh
I
fear it is myself.'
'Tomorrow
night is Halloween,
And
the Fairy Folk do ride;
Those
that would their true love win
At
Miles Cross they must hide!
'First
you let pass the black horse
Then
you let pass the brown,
But
run up to the milk white steed
And
pull the rider down.
'First
they'll change me in your arms
Into
some esk or adder,
Hold
me close and fear me not,
For
I'm your child's father.
'Then
they'll turn me in your arms
Into
a lion wild.
Hold
me tight and fear me not
As
you would hold your child.
'Then
they'll turn me in your arms
Into
a red-hot bar of iron,
Hold
me close and fear me not,
For
I will do no harm.
'Then
they'll turn me in your arms
Into
some burning lead,
Throw
me into well-water
And
throw me in with speed.
'Last
they'll turn me in your arms
Into
a naked knight
Wrap
me up in your green mantle,
And
hide me close from sight.'
So
well she did what he did say
She
did her true love win,
She
wrapped him up in her mantle,
As
blythe as any bird in Spring.
Up
and spake the Fairy Queen,
And
angry cried she,
'If
I'd have known of this Tam Lin,
That
some lady'd borrowed thee,
'If
I had known of this Tam Lin,
That
some lady borrowed thee,
I'd
have plucked out thine eyes of flesh
And
put in eyes from a tree!
'If
I'd have known of this Tam Lin,
Before
we came from home,
I'd
have plucked out thine heart of flesh
And
put in a heart of stone!'
R.J. Stewart version based upon the 1692 text of ‘The Secret Commonwealth of Elves
Fauns and Faeries’ by Robert Kirk.
