Willie's Lady

O Willie he's crossed over the foam He's wooed a wife and he's brought her home He wooed her for her golden hair His mother fought her a mighty care So wicked spell she's cast on her So from her babe she'd not be free But in her bower she sits in pain Whilst Willie mourns o'er her in vain So to his mother he has gone That vilest witch of the rankest kind And says, "My lady has a cup With gold and silver set about "This goodly gift shall be your own If you relieve her of her bairn" "O of the babe she'll not be free and she shall never lighter be But she will die and turn to clay And you shall wed with another maid" So Willie sighed and turned away "I wish my life were at an end" O go ye to your mother again That vilest witch of the rankest kind And say your lady has a steed The like of which has ne'er been seen For he has golden hooves before And he has golden hooves behind And just below that horse's mane There hangs a bell on golden chain "This goodly gift shall be your own If you relieve her of her bairn" "O of the babe she'll not be free and she shall never lighter be But she will die and turn to clay And you shall wed with another maid" So Willie sighed and turned away "I wish my life were at an end" O go ye to your mother again That vilest witch of the rankest kind And say your lady has a gown With rubies red all woven 'round And every stitch is made from gold The like of which has ne'er been seen And at every golden hem hangs fifty silver bells in ten "This goodly gift shall be your own If you relieve her of her bairn" "O of the babe she'll not be free and she shall never lighter be But she will die and turn to clay And you shall wed with another maid" So Willie sighed and turned away "I wish my life were at an end" Then up and spoke old Billy the blind And he has spoken just in time Then up and spoke old Billy the blind And he has spoken just in time "O go you down to the marketplace And there you'll by a loaf of wax And shape a babe that is to nurse And in it place two eyes of glass And bid your mother to its christening day And do stand close by her right side And never stray too far away But listen well to what she says" "O who has loosed the nine witch knots That were among this lady's locks And who has taken the combs of care That hung among this lady's hair And who has killed the master kid That ran beneath this lady's bed And who has loosened her left shoe And let this lady lighter be?" So Willie's loosed the nine witch knots That were among this lady's locks And Willie's taken the combs of care That hung among this lady's hair And Willie's killed the master kid That ran beneath this lady's bed And Willie's loosened her left shoe And let this lady lighter be Now from this witch he's cursed-free And now they have their son so bonny And many blessings, many blessings on them free [?] Now from this witch he's cursed-free And now they have their son so bonny And many blessings, many blessings on them free [?]