I Will Set My Ship In Order- (UK) 1930 Ord
[No informant named, location or tune given. From: John Ord's Bothy Songs and Ballads, 1930. Surely this is from Scotland as Greig/Duncan collected over twenty versions there.
R. Mateson 2016]
I WILL SET MY SHIP IN ORDER
I will set my ship in order,
I will sail her upon the sea;
I'll sail far over yonder border
To see if my lovie mind on me.
He sailed east and he sailed west,
And he sailed far, far seeking lan',
Until he came to his true love's window,
And rapped Loudly and would be in.
"Oh, who is that at my bower-window,
That raps so loudly and would be in?"
"It's I, it's I, your own true lover,
Oh rise, oh rise, love, and let me in."
"It's few true lovers I have without,
And as few lovers I have within;
Unless it be my true Love, Johnnie,
And I'm weel sure that ye're no him."
"Oh then, oh then, go and ask your father,
And see if he'll let you marry me,
And if he says no, love, come back and tell me,
For it's the last time I'll visit thee."
"My father's in his chamber writing,
And setting down his merchandise;
And in his hand he holds a letter,
And it speaks much to your dispraise."
"To my dispraise, love, to my dispraise?
To my dispraise, love, how could it be?
For I never slighted nor yet denied you,
Until this night ye've denied me."
"It's oh then, oh then, go and ask your mother,
And see if she'll let you my bride be;
And if she denies then come back and tell me,
And it will be the last time I'll trouble thee."
"My mother's in her chamber sleeping,
And words of love she will not hear,
So ye may go, love, and court another,
And whisper softly in her ear."
Then up she rose, put on her clothing,
It was to let her true love in;
But ere she had the door unlocked
His ship was sailing upon the main.
"Come back, come back, my true love, Johnnie,
Come back, come back and speak to me."
Oh, how can I come and speak wi' thee, love,
When our ship is sailing upon the sea?"
"The fish may fly, and the seas go dry,
And the rocks may melt down wi' the sun,
The working men may forget their labour
Before that I do return again."
She's turned herself right and round about,
And she's flung herself into the sea,
Saying, "Farewell for aye, my true love, Johnnie,
For ye'll never hae to come back to me."