Francis James Child

“ Baith father and mither will think naething o me.’
‘Gae up to your father, bring down gowd and money,
And I’ll take ye ower to a braw Irish ladie.’
She gade to her father, brought down gowd and money,
And she’s awa ower to a braw Irish ladie.
She hadna sailed far till the young thing cried ‘Women!’
‘What women can do, my dear, I’ll do for you.’
‘O haud your tongue, foolish man, dinna talk vainly,
For ye never kent what a woman driet for you. ”

“ She’s stown her father’s gowd, and her mother’s money,
But she was never a lady in Ireland bonnie.
* * * * *
‘There’s fey fowk in our ship, she winna sail for me,
There’s fey fowk in our ship, she winna sail for me.’
They’ve casten black bullets twice six and forty,
And ae the black bullet fell on bonnie Annie.
‘Ye’ll tak me in your arms twa, lo, lift me cannie,
Throw me out owre board, your ain dear Annie.’
He has tane her in his arms twa, lo, lifted her cannie,
He has laid her on a bed of down, his ain dear Annie. ”

“ He had a fair lady, and one only dochter.
O she was fair, O dear, she was bonnie!
A ship’s captain courted her to be his honey.
There cam a ship’s captain out owre the sea sailing,
He courted this young thing till he got her wi bairn. ”