True Thomas

True Thomas lay on Huntlie bank

A ferlie he spied wi' his ee

And there he saw a ladye bright

Come riding down by the Eildon tree

Her dress was of the grass green silk

Her mantle o' the velvet fine

At ilka tett of her horses mane

Hung fifty silver bells and nine

True Thomas he pull'd off his cap

And louted low down on his knee

"All hail thou mighty queen of heaven

For thy peer on earth I never did see"

"O no, o no, Thomas" she said

"That name does not belong to me

I am but the queen of fair Elfland

That am hither come to visit thee

Harp and carp, Thomas," she said

"Harp and carp along wi' me

And if ye dare to kiss my lips

Sure of your bodie I will be"

"Betide me weal, betide me woe

That weird shall never daunton me"

Syne he has kissed her rosy lips

All underneath the Eildon tree.

"Now ye maun go wi' me she said

"True Thomas, ye maun go wi' me;

And ye maun serve me seven years

Thro' weal or woe as may chance to be"

She mounted on her milk white steed

She's ta'en true Thomas up behind

And aye, whene'er her bridle rung

The steed flew swifter than the wind

O they rade on, and farther on

The steed gaed swifter than the wind

Until they reached a desert wide

And living land was left behind

"Light down, light down, now, true Thomas

And lean your head upon my knee

Abide and rest a little space

And I will shew you ferlies three

O see ye not yon narrow road

So thick beset with thorns and briers

That is the path of righteousness

Though after it but few enquires

And see ye not that braid braid road

That lies across the lily leven

That is the path of wickedness

Though some call it the road to heaven

And see ye not that bonny road

That winds about the fernie brae

That is the road to fair Elfland

Where thou and I this night maun gae

But, Thomas, ye maun hold your tongue

Whatever ye may hear or see

For, if you speak in Elfin land

Ye'll ne'er get back to your ain countrie"

O they rade on, and farther on,

They waded through rivers aboon the knee

And they saw neither sun nor moon

But they heard the roaring of the sea

It was mirk mirk night there was nae stern light

And they waded through red blude to the knee

For a' the blude that's shed on earth

Rins through the springs o' that counterie

Syne they cam on to a garden green

And she pu'd an apple frae a tree

"Take this for thy wages, true Thomas

It'll give thee the tongue that can never lie"

"My tongue is mine ain, true Thomas said

A gudely gift ye wad gie to me

I neither dought to buy nor sell

At fair or tryst where I may be

I dought neither speak to prince nor peer

Nor ask of grace from fair ladye"

"Now hold thy peace!" the lady said

"For as I say, so must it be"

He has gotten a coat of the even cloth

And a pair of shoes of velvet green

And 'till seven years were gone and past

True Thomas on earth was never seen