Fair Anny- Brown (Falkland) 1783 Child D
[See the following articles in Recordings & Info: An Accused Queen in "The Lass of Roch Royal" and Mrs. Brown's "Lass of Roch Royal" and the Golden Age of Scottish Balladry. This is the first of two versions collected from Anna Brown. At the bottom of the page are the text and notes from Jamieson in 1806.]
Child: Jamieson printed, in 1806, D, a version written down from Mrs. Brown's recitation in 1783, giving it not quite verbatim, as he says (he changes, for instance, Rochroyal to Lochroyan), but in general adhering to his text.
From Mrs. Brown's "Lass of Roch Royal" and the Golden Age of Scottish Balladry:
The bulk of Mrs. Brown's ballads survive in three manuscript collections, all of which provided major contributions to the important early ballad anthologies.
1. The Jamieson-Brown MS, compiled in 1783 by Robert (later Professor) Scott, Mrs. Brown's nephew, from her recitation, at the request of the musicologist William Tytler. It contains twenty texts of 19 ballads (there being two distinct versions of "Young Beichan"). It was never sent to Tytler, but was later given to Robert Jamieson, who used it for his Popular Ballads and Songs, 1806. All the texts appear in Child's English and Scottish Popular Ballads. The manuscripits now in the Library of the University of Edinburgh.
2. The Tytler-Brown MS, compiled for William Tytler later in 1783 to replacet he first MS, which did not give the tunes. This time Robert Scott noted both words and tunes from Mrs. Brown's recitation. The fifteen ballads in this MS are selected from among those in the Jamieson-Brown MS, which it is clear Mrs. Brown had before her during the compilation of the new collection. The Tytler-Brown MS was leant to Sir Walter Scott, who used it, after his own fashion, in compiling his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. It could not be traced when Child was compiling his collection, so he had to make do with two derivative manuscripts, one containing the complete texts of two ballads, the other giving the first stanza of each of the ballads. Since 1920 scholars have had available the complete transcript of the MS made by Joseph Ritson before it was misplaced, and the MS itself recently turned up among the papers of the Tytler family at Aldourie Castle, Inverness, and photographic copies are gradually being acquired by academicc entres.
3. The Fraser Tytler-Brown MS was compiled in 1800 for Sir Walter Scott, who was in quest of more material for his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. Mrs. Brown providedn ine ballads (without music), which she apparently wrote down herself. Two of them duplicate ballads already recorded in the Jamieson-Brown MS of 1783. Child printed all nine texts. The MS is now at Aldourie Castle.
Fair Anny- Version D; The Lass of Roch Royal Child 76
Jamieson-Brown Manuscript, fol. 27; "Fair Annie of Lochroyan" Jamieson's Popular Ballads, I, 36.
1 'O wha will shoe my fu fair foot?
An wha will glove my han?
An wha will lace my middle gimp
Wi the new made London ban?
2 'Or wha will kemb my yallow hair,
Wi the new made silver kemb?
Or wha'll be father to my young bairn,
Till Love Gregor come hame?'
3 Her father shoed her fu fair foot,
Her mother glovd her han;
Her sister lac'd her middle gimp
Wi the new made London ban.
4 Her brother kembd her yallow hair,
Wi the new made silver kemb,
But the king o heaven maun father her bairn,
Till Love Gregor come hame.
5 'O gin I had a bony ship,
An men to sail wi me,
It's I would gang to my true-love,
Since he winna come to me.'
6 Her father's gien her a bonny ship,
An sent her to the stran;
She's tane her young son in her arms,
An turnd her back to the lan.
7 She had na been o the sea saillin
About a month or more,
Till landed has she her bonny ship
Near her true-love's door.
8 The night was dark, an the win blew caul,
An her love was fast asleep,
An the bairn that was in her twa arms
Fu sair began to weep.
9 Long stood she at her true-love's door,
An lang tirld at the pin;
At length up gat his fa'se mither,
Says, Wha's that woud be in?
10 'O it is Anny of Roch-royal,
Your love, come oer the sea,
But an your young son in her arms;
So open the door to me.'
11 'Awa, awa, you ill woman,
You've na come here for gude,
You're but a witch, or wile warlock,
Or mermaid o the flude.'
12 'I'm na a witch, or wile warlock,
Nor mermaiden,' said she;
'I'm but Fair Anny o Roch-royal;
O open the door to me.'
13 'O gin ye be Anny o Roch-royal,
As [I] trust not ye be,
What taiken can ye gie that ever
I kept your company?'
14 'O dinna ye mind, Love Gregor,' she says,
'Whan we sat at the wine,
How we changed the napkins frae our necks,
It's na sae lang sin syne?
15 'An yours was good, an good enough,
But nae sae good as mine;
For yours was o the cumbruk clear,
But mine was silk sae fine.
16 'An dinna ye mind, Love Gregor,' she says,
'As we twa sat at dine,
How we changed the rings frae our fingers,
But ay the best was mine?
17 'For yours was good, an good enough,
Yet nae sae good as mine;
For yours was of the good red gold,
But mine o the diamonds fine.
18 'Sae open the door now, Love Gregor,
An open it wi speed,
Or your young son that is in my arms
For cauld will soon be dead.'
19 'Awa, awa, you ill woman,
Gae frae my door for shame;
For I hae gotten another fair love,
Sae ye may hye you hame.'
20 'O hae you gotten another fair love,
For a' the oaths you sware?
Then fair you well now, fa'se Gregor,
For me you's never see mair.'
21 O heely, heely gi'd she back,
As the day began to peep;
She set her foot on good ship-board,
An sair, sair did she weep.
22 Love Gregor started frae his sleep,
An to his mither did say,
I dreamd a dream this night, mither,
That maks my heart right wae.
23 'I dreamd that Anny of Roch-royal,
The flowr o a' her kin,
Was standin mournin at my door,
But nane would lat her in.'
24 'O there was a woman stood at the door,
Wi a bairn intill her arms,
But I woud na lat her within the bowr,
For fear she had done you harm.'
25 O quickly, quickly raise he up,
An fast ran to the stran,
An there he saw her Fair Anny,
Was sailin frae the lan.
26 An 'Heigh, Anny!' an 'Hou, Anny!
O Anny, speak to me!'
But ay the louder that he cried Anny,
The louder roard the sea.
27 An 'Heigh, Anny!' an 'Hou, Anny!
O Anny, winna you bide?'
But ay the langer that he cried Anny,
The higher roard the tide.
28 The win grew loud, an the sea grew rough,
An the ship was rent in twain,
An soon he saw her Fair Anny
Come floating oer the main.
29 He saw his young son in her arms,
Baith tossd aboon the tide;
He wrang his hands, than fast he ran,
An plung'd i the sea sae wide.
30 He catchd her by the yallow hair,
An drew her to the strand,
But cauld an stiff was every limb
Before he reachd the land.
31 O first he kissd her cherry cheek,
An then he kissd her chin;
An sair he kissd her ruby lips,
But there was nae breath within.
32 O he has mournd oer Fair Anny
Till the sun was gaing down,
Then wi a sigh his heart it brast,
An his saul to heaven has flown.
_________________
Popular Ballads and Songs: from tradition, manuscripts and scarce editions; edited by Robert Jamieson 1806
FAIR ANNIE OF LOCHROYAN.
This beautiful piece was adopted into this collection, and "Fair Annie's Complaint" written to accompany it, long before the editor knew any thing of Mr. Scott's intended publication. It is here given verbatim from the large MS. collection (see Preface), transmitted from Aberdeen, by my zealous and industrious friend, Professor Robert Scott of that university. I have every reason to believe, that no liberty whatever has been taken with the text, which is certainly more uniform than any copy heretofore published. It was first written down many years ago [1783] , with no view towards being committed to the press; and is now given from the copy then taken, with the addition only of stanzas 22. and 23. which the editor has inserted from memory.
FAIR ANNIE OF LOCHROYAN.
''O Wha will shoe my fair foot,
And wha will glove my han'?
And wha will lace my middle gimp
Wi' a new-made London ban'?
"Or wha will kemb my yellow hair
Wi' a new-made silver kemb?
Or wha'll be father to my young bairn,
Till love Gregor come hame?"
"Your father'll shoe your fair foot,
Your mother glove your han';
Your sister lace your middle jimp
Wi' a new-made London ban';
"Your brethren will kemb your yellow hair
Wi' a new-made silver kemb;
And the King o' Heaven will father your bairn,
Till love Gregor come hame."
"O gin I had a bonny ship,
And men to sail wi' me,
It's I wad gang to my true love,
Sin he winna come to me!"
Her father's gien her a bonny ship,
And sent her to the stran';
She's taen her young son in her arms,
And turn'd her back to the lan'.
She hadna been o' the sea sailin'
About a month or more,
Till landed has she her bonny ship
Near her true-love's door.
The nicht was dark, and the wind blew cald,
And her love was fast asleep,
And the bairn that was in her twa arms
Fu' sair began to greet.
Lang stood she at her true love's door,
And lang tirl'd at the pin;
At length up gat his fause mother,
Says, "Wha's that wad be in?"
"O, it is Annie of Lochroyan,
Your love, come o'er the sea,
But and your young son in her arms;
So open the door to me."
"Awa, awa, ye ill woman,
You're nae come here for gude;
You're but a witch, or a vile warlock,
Or mermaid o' the flude."
"I'm nae a witch or vile warlock,
Or mermaiden," said she;—
"I'm but your Annie of Lochroyan;-
O open the door to me!"
"O gin ye be Annie of Lochroyan,
As I trust not ye be,
What taiken can ye gie that e'er
I kept your companie?"
"O dinna ye mind, love Gregor," she says,
"Whan we sat at the wine,
How we changed the napkins frae our necks,
It's nae sae lang sinsyne?
"And yours was gude, and gnde enough;
But nae sae gude as mine;
For yours was o' the cambrick clear,
But mine o' the silk sae fine.
"And dinna ye mind, love Gregor," she says,
"As we twa sat at dine,
How we chang'd the rings frae our fingers,
And I can shew thee thine:
"And yours was gude, and gude enough,
Yet nae sae gude as mine;
For yours was o' the gude red gold,
But mine o' the diamonds fine.
"Sae open the door, now, love Gregor,
And open it wi' speed;
Or your young son, that is in my arms,
For cald will soon be dead."
"Awa, awa, ye ill woman;
Gae frae my door for shame,
For I hae gotten anither fair love,
Sae ye may hie you hame."
"O hae ye gotten anither fair love,
For a' the oaths ye sware?
Then fare ye weel, now, fause Gregor;
For me ye's never see mair!"
O, hooly hooly gaed she back,
As the day began to peep;
She set her foot on good ship board,
And sair sair did she weep.
"Tak down, tak down the mast o' goud;
Set up the mast o' tree;
I'll sets it a forsaken lady
To sail sae gallantlie.
"Tak down, tak down the sails o' silk;
Set up the sails o' skin;
I'll sets the outside to be gay,
Whan there's sic grief within!"
Love Gregor started frae his sleep,
And to his mother did say,
"I dreamt a dream this night, mither,
That maks my heart richt wae;
"I dreamt that Annie of Lochroyan,
The flower o' a' her kin,
Was standin' mournin' at my door,
But nane wad lat her in."
"O there was a woman stood at the door,
Wi' a bairn intill her arms;
But I wadna let her within the bower,
For fear she had done you harm."
O quickly, quickly raise he up,
And fast ran to the strand;
And there he saw he, fair Annie,
Was sailing frae the land.
And "heigh, Annie," and "how, Annie.'
O, Annie, winna ye bide?"
But ay the louder that he cried " Annie,"
The higher rair'd the tide.
And " heigh, Annie!" and " how, Annie"
O, Annie, speak to me!"
But ay the louder that he cried " Annie,"
The louder rair'd the sea.
The wind grew loud, and the sea grew rough,
And the ship was rent in twain;
And soon he saw her, fair Annie,
Come floating o'er the main.
He saw his young son in her arms,
Baith toss'd aboon the tide;
He wrang his hands, and fast he ran,
And plunged in the sea sae wide.
He catch'd her by the yellow hair,
And drew her to the strand;
But cald and stiff was every limb,
Before he reach'd the land.
O first he kist her cherry cheek,
And syne he kist her chin,
And sair he kist her ruby lips;
But there was nae breath within.
O he has mourn'd o'er fair Annie,
Till the sun was ganging down;
Syne wi' a sich his heart it brast,
And his saul to heaven has flown.
* The editor has frequently, when a boy, heard the foregoing ballad chaunted in Moray-shire; but no mention was ever made of enchantment, or "fairy charms." Indeed the three stanzas on that subject, beginning, "And when she saw the stately tower," &c. in the Border Minstrelsy, vol. ii. p. 53. are in a style of composition very peculiar, and different from the rest of the piece, and strongly remind us of the interpolations in the ballad of "Gil Morris." This is by no means intended to throw any reflection on Mr Scott, in whose fidelity as an editor I have the greatest confidence; and I have not the least doubt but he gave his pieces to the world in the exact state in which they came into his hands.