Lord Thomas and Fair Annie
"It's narrow, narrow make your bed
and learn to lie your lane,
For I'm goin' o'er the sea, Fair Annie,
A braw bride to bring hame.”
"With her I'll get both gold and gear;
with you I ne'er got nane;
I took you as a waif woman,
I'll leave you as the same.”
"But who will bake my bridal bread,
Who'll brew my bridal ale,
And who will welcome my braw bride
That I bring o'er the dale?"
"It's I will bake your bridal bread,
I'll brew your bridal ale,
And I will welcome your braw bride,
That you bring o'er the dale."
"But she that welcomes my new bride
Must go like a maiden fair,
And she must lace her middle so neat
And braid her yellow hair."
"But how can I go maiden-like
when maiden I am nane?
For I've born seven sons by you
and am with child again."
She took her young son in her arms,
another in her hand,
and she is up to the highest tower
to see them come tae land.
"Come up, come up my eldest son
and look o'er yon strand,
and see your father's new-come bride
before she's come to land."
"Come down, come down, my mother dear,
Come from the castle wall,
I fear that if long you stand there,
You'll let yourself down fall."
Then she got down and further down,
Her love's fine ship to see;
The top mast, and the main mast,
They shone like silver free!
Then she got down and further down
The bride's ship to behold;
The top mast and the main mast
They shone like burning gold!
She took her seven sons in her hands
And O, she did not fail,
She met Lord Thomas and his bride
As they came o'er the lake.
"You're welcome to your house Thomas,
You're welcome to your land,
You're welcome with your lady fair
That you lead by the hand.”
"You're welcome to your halls, Lady,
You're welcome to your bowers,
You're welcome to your home Lady,
For all that's here is yours."
“O what lady is that, my lord,
That welcomes you and me?
Now that I'm living in this place,
Her friend I mean to be.”
"I Thank thee, Annie, I thank thee Annie,
So dearly I thank thee,
You're the likest to my sister, Annie,
that ever I did see.”
"There came a knight from o'er the sea
Who stole my sister away;
O shame on him and his company
And the land wherever he stay."
And aye, she served the tables long
With white bread and white wine,
And aye, she drank the wan water,
To keep her color fine.
And aye, she served the tables long
With white bread and with brown,
And aye, she turned herself round about
So fast the tears fell down.
She took a napkin long and white,
And hung it on a pin;
It was to wipe away the tears,
As she went out and in.
When bells were rung and mass was sung
And all were bound for bed,
Lord Thomas and his new-come bride
To their chambers they were led.
She took her harp all in her hands
To harp these two to sleep;
As Annie harped, as Annie sang,
Full sorely she did weep.
“If my seven sons were seven young rats
Running on yon castle wall,
And if I were a cat myself
I soon should worry them all.”
“If my seven sons were seven young hares
Running on yon lily lea,
And I were a greyhound myself
Soon worried they should be.”
Then out and spake the bonny young Bride,
In bride-bed where she lay:
“That 's like my sister Annie,” she says;
“Who now doth sing and play?
“I'll put on my gown,” said the new-come Bride,
“And don my shoes shall I;
I'll see why she doth so sadly sing,
And what is it makes her cry.”
“What ails thee, Annie, What ails thee, Annie
That you make such a moan?
Has your wine barrel cast its girds
Or is your white bread gone?”
“It isn't because my wine is spilt,
Or that my white bread's gone;
But because I've lost my lover's love,
And he's wed to another one.”
“And who was your father Annie
And who was your mother?
And had you any sister, Annie
and had you any brother?”
“The Earl of Wemyss is my Father, dear
The countess of Wemyss,my mother.
Young Elinore, she is my sister, dear
And Lord John, he is my brother.”
“If Earl of Wemyss is your father
Then also is he mine.
And it shall not be for want of gold
That you your love should twine.”
“For I have seven ships of my own
All loaded and weighed down.
And I shall give them all to thee
And four to thy eldest son.
And praise be to the powers in heaven
That I go a maiden home.”
"It's narrow, narrow make your bed
and learn to lie your lane,
For I'm goin' o'er the sea, Fair Annie,
A braw bride to bring hame.”
"With her I'll get both gold and gear;
with you I ne'er got nane;
I took you as a waif woman,
I'll leave you as the same.”
"But who will bake my bridal bread,
Who'll brew my bridal ale,
And who will welcome my braw bride
That I bring o'er the dale?"
"It's I will bake your bridal bread,
I'll brew your bridal ale,
And I will welcome your braw bride,
That you bring o'er the dale."
"But she that welcomes my new bride
Must go like a maiden fair,
And she must lace her middle so neat
And braid her yellow hair."
"But how can I go maiden-like
when maiden I am nane?
For I've born seven sons by you
and am with child again."
She took her young son in her arms,
another in her hand,
and she is up to the highest tower
to see them come tae land.
"Come up, come up my eldest son
and look o'er yon strand,
and see your father's new-come bride
before she's come to land."
"Come down, come down, my mother dear,
Come from the castle wall,
I fear that if long you stand there,
You'll let yourself down fall."
Then she got down and further down,
Her love's fine ship to see;
The top mast, and the main mast,
They shone like silver free!
Then she got down and further down
The bride's ship to behold;
The top mast and the main mast
They shone like burning gold!
She took her seven sons in her hands
And O, she did not fail,
She met Lord Thomas and his bride
As they came o'er the lake.
"You're welcome to your house Thomas,
You're welcome to your land,
You're welcome with your lady fair
That you lead by the hand.”
"You're welcome to your halls, Lady,
You're welcome to your bowers,
You're welcome to your home Lady,
For all that's here is yours."
“O what lady is that, my lord,
That welcomes you and me?
Now that I'm living in this place,
Her friend I mean to be.”
"I Thank thee, Annie, I thank thee Annie,
So dearly I thank thee,
You're the likest to my sister, Annie,
that ever I did see.”
"There came a knight from o'er the sea
Who stole my sister away;
O shame on him and his company
And the land wherever he stay."
And aye, she served the tables long
With white bread and white wine,
And aye, she drank the wan water,
To keep her color fine.
And aye, she served the tables long
With white bread and with brown,
And aye, she turned herself round about
So fast the tears fell down.
She took a napkin long and white,
And hung it on a pin;
It was to wipe away the tears,
As she went out and in.
When bells were rung and mass was sung
And all were bound for bed,
Lord Thomas and his new-come bride
To their chambers they were led.
She took her harp all in her hands
To harp these two to sleep;
As Annie harped, as Annie sang,
Full sorely she did weep.
“If my seven sons were seven young rats
Running on yon castle wall,
And if I were a cat myself
I soon should worry them all.”
“If my seven sons were seven young hares
Running on yon lily lea,
And I were a greyhound myself
Soon worried they should be.”
Then out and spake the bonny young Bride,
In bride-bed where she lay:
“That 's like my sister Annie,” she says;
“Who now doth sing and play?
“I'll put on my gown,” said the new-come Bride,
“And don my shoes shall I;
I'll see why she doth so sadly sing,
And what is it makes her cry.”
“What ails thee, Annie, What ails thee, Annie
That you make such a moan?
Has your wine barrel cast its girds
Or is your white bread gone?”
“It isn't because my wine is spilt,
Or that my white bread's gone;
But because I've lost my lover's love,
And he's wed to another one.”
“And who was your father Annie
And who was your mother?
And had you any sister, Annie
and had you any brother?”
“The Earl of Wemyss is my Father, dear
The countess of Wemyss,my mother.
Young Elinore, she is my sister, dear
And Lord John, he is my brother.”
“If Earl of Wemyss is your father
Then also is he mine.
And it shall not be for want of gold
That you your love should twine.”
“For I have seven ships of my own
All loaded and weighed down.
And I shall give them all to thee
And four to thy eldest son.
And praise be to the powers in heaven
That I go a maiden home.”
Tab for DAd tuning Capo I for Em key (underlined notes played on middle string)
0 0 4 4 5 3 2 0
3 0 4 4 5 4
2 3 33 2 03 2 32 0
0 3 0 2 32 0
Tab for DAA tuning (no Capo _ this is not exactly Em, but a kind of mode - I will tell you more about playing minor melodies on the zitter which cannot accept a dulcimer capo on a future page)
4 4 7 7 8 6 5 4
3 4 7 7 8 7
5 6 66 5 43 5 65 4
4 3 4 5 65 4
0 0 4 4 5 3 2 0
3 0 4 4 5 4
2 3 33 2 03 2 32 0
0 3 0 2 32 0
Tab for DAA tuning (no Capo _ this is not exactly Em, but a kind of mode - I will tell you more about playing minor melodies on the zitter which cannot accept a dulcimer capo on a future page)
4 4 7 7 8 6 5 4
3 4 7 7 8 7
5 6 66 5 43 5 65 4
4 3 4 5 65 4