< Page:Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1900.djvu
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ANONYMOUS

  • O wha is this has done this deed

And tauld the king o' me, To send us out, at this time o' year,

To sail upon the sea ?

4 Be it wind, be it weet, be it hail, be it sleet,

Our ship must sail the faem ; The king's daughter o' Noroway,

'Tis we must fetch her hame.'

They hoysed their sails on Monenday morn

Wi' a' the speed they may; They hae landed in Noroway

Upon a Wodensday.

II. The Return

4 Mak ready, mak ready, my merry men a' I

Our gude ship sails the morn.' 'Now ever alack, my master dear,

I fear a deadly storm.

4 1 saw the new moon late yestreen

Wi' the auld moon in her arm ; And if we gang to sea, master,

I fear we'll come to harm.'

They hadna sail'd a league, a league,

A league but barely three, When the lift grew dark, and the wind blew loud,

And gurly grew the sea.

The ankers brak, and the topmast lap,

It was sic a deadly storm: And the waves cam owre the broken ship

Till a' her sides were torn, lift] sky, lap] sprang.

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