King Willie, he's sailed over the raging foam.
He's wooed a wife and he's brought her home.
He wooed her for her long yellow hair.
His mother wrought them a mighty care;
A weary spell she's laid on her
-She'd be with child for long and many's the year;
But the child she would never bear.
And in her bower she lies in pain.
King Willie at the bed-head he do stand,
And down his cheeks salten tears do run.
King Willie, back to his mother he did run;
And he's gone there as a begging son.
He said, "My true love has a fine noble steed,
The like of which you ne'er did see.
"At every part of this horse's mane
There's hanging fifty silver bells and ten,
There's hanging fifty bells and ten.
This goodly gift shall be your own
If back to my own true love you'll turn again
That she might bear her baby son."
"Of the child she'll never lighter be,
Nor from sickness will she e'er be free.
But she will die! And she will turn to clay!
And you will wed with another maid!
"And sighing said this weary man,
As back to his own true love he's gone again,
"I wish my life was at an end."
King Willie, back to his mother he did run;
And he's gone there as a begging son.
He said, "My true love has this fine golden girdle
Set with jewels all about the middle.
At every part of this girdle's hem
There's hanging fifty silver bells and ten,
There's hanging fifty bells and ten.
This goodly gift shall be your own
If back to my own true love you'll turn again
That she might bear her baby son."
"Of the child she'll never lighter be,
Nor from sickness will she e'er be free.
But she will die! And she will turn to clay!
And you will wed with another maid!"
Then sighing said this weary man
As back to his own true love he's gone again,
"I wish my life was at an end."
Then up and spoke his noble queen
And she has told King Willie of a plan
How she might bear her baby son.
She said, "You must go, get you down to the market place,
And you must buy you a loaf of wax
And you must shape it as a babe that is to nurse
And you must make two eyes of glass
Then ask your mother to a christening day
And you must stand there, close as you might
you might hear what she do say."
So Willie, he's gone down to the marketplace
And he has bought him a loaf of wax
And he has shaped it as a babe that is to nurse
And he has made two eyes of glass
He asked his mother to a christening day
And he did stand there, close as he might be
That he might hear what she did say.
And how she stormed and how she swore!
She spied a babe where none could be before
She spied a babe where none could be before
She said, "Who was it who undid the nine witch-knots
Braided in amongst this lady's locks?
And who was it who took out the combs of care
Braided in amongst this lady's hair?
And who was it slew the master kid
That ran and slipped all beneath this lady's bed?
That ran a slipped all beneath her bed?
And who was it who unlaced her left shoe?
And who was it who has let her lighter be?
Who has let her lighter be?
And it was Willie that undid the nine witch knots
Braided in amongst this lady's locks
And it was Willie that took out the combs of care
Braided in amongst this lady's hair
And it was Willie the master kid did slay
And it was Willie that unlaced her left-foot shoe
And he has let her lighter be
And she has borne him a baby son
And greater the blessings that be them upon
Greater the blessings them upon.
