Clerk Colin- (Forfarshire) 1871 Child C
[Posted by W.F. in Notes and Queries (see below). According to Child the source of this ballad should be no other than Mrs. Brown, who certainly may have known two versions of Clerk Colvill. This version uses the Colin name, showing the ties between Child 42 and 85. In the last section a spell or injury (associated with the mermaid or viewing the mermaid) has overtaken Colin, he can either become a fish and go with the Mermaid or die.
R. Matteson 2012]
Clerk Colin- Version C; Child 42 Clerk Colvill
Notes and Queries, 4th Series, VIII, 510, from the recitation of a lady in Forfarshire.
1 Clerk Colin and his mother dear
Were in the garden green;
The band that was about her neck
Cost Colin pounds fifteen;
The belt about her middle sae sma
Cost twice as much again.
2 'Forbidden gin ye wad be, love Colin,
Forbidden gin ye wad be,
And gang nae mair to Clyde's water,
To court yon gay ladie.'
3 'Forbid me frae your ha, mother,
Forbid me frae your bour,
But forbid me not frae yon ladie;
She's fair as ony flour.
4 'Forbidden I winna be, mother,
Forbidden I winna be,
For I maun gang to Clyde's water,
To court yon gay ladie.'
5 An he is on his saddle set,
As fast as he could win,
An he is on to Clyde's water,
By the lee licht o the moon.
6 An when he cam to the Clyde's water
He lichted lowly down,
An there he saw the mermaiden,
Washin silk upon a stane.
7 'Come down, come down, now, Clerk Colin,
Come down an [fish] wi me;
I'll row ye in my arms twa,
An a foot I sanna jee.'
* * * * *
8 'O mother, mother, mak my bed,
And, sister, lay me doun,
An brother, tak my bow an shoot,
For my shooting is done.'
9 He wasna weel laid in his bed,
Nor yet weel fa'en asleep,
When up an started the mermaiden,
Just at Clerk Colin's feet.
10 'Will ye lie there an die, Clerk Colin,
Will ye lie there an die?
Or will ye gang to Clyde's water,
To fish in flood wi me?'
11 'I will lie here an die,' he said,
'I will lie here an die;
In spite o a' the deils in hell
I will lie here an die.'
___________
Notes and Queries: Volume 44 - Page 510; 1871
OLD BALLAD: "CLERK COLIN." The following is taken down from the recitation of a lady in Forfarshire, and I have reason to believe that it is originally from the same source as that from which Scott, and especially Jamieson, derived many of their best ballads: Child adds: "This source should be no other than Mrs. Brown, who certainly may have known two versions of Clerk Colvil"—
"Clerk Colin and his mother dear
Were in the garden green;
The band that was about her neck
The belt about her middle sae sma'
Cost twice as much again.
" 'Forbidden I winna be, mother,
Forbidden I winna be;
For I maun gang to Clyde's water
To court yon gay ladie.'
"An' he is on his saddle set.
As fast as he could win;
An' he is on to Clyde's water,
By the lee licht o' the moon.
"An' when he cam to the Clyde's water,
lie lichtcd lowly down.
An' there he saw the mermaiden
Washin' silk upon a stane. [1]
" 'Come down, come down, now Clerk Colin;
Come down an' [fish] wi' me?
I'll row ye in my arms twa,
An' a foot I sanna jee.'
"When they part he returns home, and, on the way his head becomes "wondrous sair."'
"' O mother, mother, mak' my bed,
And sister, lay me doun;
An' brother, tak' my bow an' shoot,
For my shooting is done.'
"He wasna weel laid in his bed,
Nor yet weel fa'en asleep,
When up an' started the mermaiden,
Just at Clerk Colin's feet.
" 'Will ye lie there an' die, Clerk Colin,
Will ye lie there an' die?
Or will ye gang to Clyde's water.
To fish [2] in flood wi' me?'
" 'I will lie here an' die,' he said,
'I will lie here an' die;
In spite o' a' the deils in hell,
I will lie here an' die!' "
Footnotes:
1. Washing her single garment of green silk was the usual occupation of a languishing mermaiden.
2. Scil. "To a fish," i. e. "To be a fish."
Of this ballad, unlike most of our traditionary song, there has hitherto been only one version. It was first printed by Herd (1769), whose copy— defective also at the same place as the above— has the scene at "the wells of Slane," which Buchan identifies with Slains, on the coast of Buchan.
W. F. (2).