Willie’s Lyke-Wake (Child 25A)

‘WILLIE, Willie, I’ll learn you a wile,’
And the sun shines over the valleys and a’
‘How this pretty fair maid ye may beguile.’
Amang the blue flowrs and the yellow and a’

‘Ye maun lie doun just as ye were dead,
And the sun shines over the valleys and a’
And tak your winding-sheet around your head.
Amang the blue flowrs and the yellow and a’

‘Ye maun gie the bellman his bell-groat,
And the sun shines over the valleys and a’
To ring your dead-bell at your lover’s yett.’
Amang the blue flowrs and the yellow and a’

He lay doun just as he war dead,
And the sun shines over the valleys and a’
And took his winding-sheet round his head.
Amang the blue flowrs and the yellow and a’

He gied the bellman his bell-groat,
And the sun shines over the valleys and a’
To ring his dead-bell at his lover’s yett.
Amang the blue flowrs and the yellow and a’

‘O wha is this that is dead, I hear?’
And the sun shines over the valleys and a’
‘O wha but Willie that loed ye sae dear.’
Amang the blue flowrs and the yellow and a’

She is to her father’s chamber gone,
And the sun shines over the valleys and a’
And on her knees she’s fallen down.
Amang the blue flowrs and the yellow and a’

‘O father, O father, ye maun grant me this;
And the sun shines over the valleys and a’
I hope that ye will na tak it amiss.
Amang the blue flowrs and the yellow and a’

‘That I to Willie’s burial should go;
And the sun shines over the valleys and a’
For he is dead, full well I do know.’
Amang the blue flowrs and the yellow and a’

‘Ye’ll tak your seven bauld brethren wi thee,
And the sun shines over the valleys and a’
And to Willie’s burial straucht go ye.’
Amang the blue flowrs and the yellow and a’

It’s whan she cam to the outmost yett,
And the sun shines over the valleys and a’
She made the silver fly round for his sake.
Amang the blue flowrs and the yellow and a’

It’s whan she cam to the inmost yett,
And the sun shines over the valleys and a’
She made the red gowd fly round for his sake.
Amang the blue flowrs and the yellow and a’

As she walked frae the court to the parlour there,
And the sun shines over the valleys and a’
The pretty corpse syne began for to steer.
Amang the blue flowrs and the yellow and a’

He took her by the waist sae neat and sae sma,
And the sun shines over the valleys and a’
And threw her atween him and the wa.
Amang the blue flowrs and the yellow and a’

‘O Willie, O Willie, let me alane this nicht,
And the sun shines over the valleys and a’
O let me alane till we’re wedded richt.’
Amang the blue flowrs and the yellow and a’

‘Ye cam unto me baith sae meek and mild,
And the sun shines over the valleys and a’
But I’ll mak ye gae hame a wedded wife wi child.’
Amang the blue flowrs and the yellow and a’