The lady stands in her bower door
As straight as willow wand;
The blacksmith stood a little forebye
Wi' hammer in his hand.
Weel may ye dress ye, lady fair,
Into your robes o' red;
Before the morn at this same time
I'll gain your maidenhead.
Awa', awa', ye coal-black smith,
Wou'd ye do me the wrang
To think to gain my maidenhead
That I hae kept sae lang?
Then she has hadden up her hand
And she sware by the mold:
I wu'dna be a blackmith's wife
For the full o' a chest o' gold.
I'd rather I were dead and gone
And my ody laid in grave,
Ere a rusty stock o' coal-black-smith
My maidenhead sholu'd have.
But he has hadden up his hand
And he sware by the mass;
I'll cause ye be my light leman
For the hauf o' that and less.
O bide, lady, bide
And he bade her bide:
The rusty smith your leman shall be
For a' your muckly pride.
Then she became a turtle dow
To fly up in the air,
And he became another dow
And they flew pair and pair.
O bide, lady bide, Etc.
She turn'd hersell into an eel
To swim into yon burn,
And he became a speckled trout
To gie the eel a turn.
O bide, lady bide, Etc.
Then she became a duck, a duck,
To puddle in a peel,
And he became a rose-kaim'd drake
To gie the duck a dreel.
O bide, lady bide, Etc.
She turn'd hersell into a hare
To rin upon yon hill,
And he became a gude greyhound
And boldly he did fill.
O bide, lady bide, Etc.
Then she became a gay grey mare
And stood in younder slack,
And he became a gilt saddle
And sat upon her back.
Was she wae, he held her sae,
And still he bade her bide:
The rusty smith her leman was
For a' her muckle pride.
Then she became a het girdle
And he became a cake,
And a' the ways she turn'd hersell,
The blacksmith was her make.
Was she wae, Etc.
She turn'd hersell into a ship
To sail out ower the flood,
He ca'd a nail intill her tail
And syne the ship she stood.
Was she wae, Etc.
Then she became a silken plaid
And stretch'd upon a bed,
And he became a green covering
And gain'd her maidenhead.
Was she wae, he held her sae,
And still he bade her bid:
The rusty smith her leman was
For a' her muckle pride
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