It's Lamkin was a mason good as ere built wi’ stane;
He built Lord Wearie's castle, but payment got he nane.
"O pay me, Lord Wearie, come, pay me my fee",
"I canna pay you, Lamkin, for I maun gang o'er the sea."
"O pay me now, Lord Wearie, come, pay me out o’ hand",
"I canna pay you, Lamkin, unless I sell my land."
"O gin ye winna pay me, I here sall mak a vow,
Before that ye come hame again, ye sall ha’e cause to rue."
Lord Wearie's got a bonny ship to sail the saut sea faem;
Bade his ladie weel the castle keep, ay till he should come hame.
But the nourice was a fause limmer as e’er hung on a tree;
She laid a plot wi' Lamkin, whan her lord was o’er the sea.
She laid a plot wi' Lamkin, whan the servants were awa',
Loot him in at a little shot-window an brought him to the ha'.
"O where's a' the men o' this house, that ca' me Lamkin?"
"They're at the barn-well thrashing; 'twill be lang ere they come in."
"O whare's the women o' this house, that ca' me Lamkin?"
"They're at the far well washing; 'twill be night or they come hame."
"An whare's the bairns o' this house, that ca' me Lamkin?"
"They're at the school reading; 'twill be night or they come hame."
"O whare's the lady o' this house, that ca’s me Lamkin?"
"Shee's up in her bower sewing, but we soon can bring her down."
Then Lamkin's tane a sharp knife that hang down by his gaire,
An he has gi’en the bonny babe a deep wound and a sair.
Then Lamkin he rocked, and the fause nourice sang,
Till frae ilka bore o' the cradle the red blood outsprang.
Then out it spak the lady, as she stood on the stair:
"What ails my bairn, nourice, that he's greeting sae sair?"
"O still my bairn, nourice, o still him wi' the pap!"
"He winna still, lady, for this nor for that."
"O still my bairn, nourice, o still him wi' the wand!"
"He winna still, lady, for a' his father's land."
"O still my bairn, nourice, o still him wi' the bell!"
"He winna still, lady, till ye come down yoursel."
O, the firsten step she steppit, shee steppit on a stane;
Bit the neisten step she steppit, she met him Lamkin.
"O mercy, mercy, Lamkin, hae mercy upon me!
Tho you've ta’en my young son's life, ye may let mysel be."
"O sall I kill her, nourice, or sall I let her be?"
"O kill her, kill her, Lamkin, for shee's ne’er was good to me."
"O scour the bason, nourice, an mak it fair an clean,
For to keep this lady's heart's blood, for she's come o' noble kin."
"There need nae bason, Lamkin, lat it run through the floor;
What better is the hart's blood o' the rich than o' the poor?"
But ere three months were at an end, Lord Wearie came again;
But dowie, dowie was his heart when first he came hame.
"O wha's blood is this?", he says, "that lies in my chamer?"
"It is your lady's heart's bluid; 'tis as clear as the lamer."
"An wha's blood is this", he says, "that lies in my ha'?"
"It is your young son's heart's blood; 'tis the cleirest ava. "
O sweetly sang the blackbird that sat upon the tree;
But sairer grat Lamkin, whan he was condemned to die.
An bonie sang the mavis, out o' the thorny brake;
Bit sairer grat the nourice, when she was tied to the stake.
He built Lord Wearie's castle, but payment got he nane.
"O pay me, Lord Wearie, come, pay me my fee",
"I canna pay you, Lamkin, for I maun gang o'er the sea."
"O pay me now, Lord Wearie, come, pay me out o’ hand",
"I canna pay you, Lamkin, unless I sell my land."
"O gin ye winna pay me, I here sall mak a vow,
Before that ye come hame again, ye sall ha’e cause to rue."
Lord Wearie's got a bonny ship to sail the saut sea faem;
Bade his ladie weel the castle keep, ay till he should come hame.
But the nourice was a fause limmer as e’er hung on a tree;
She laid a plot wi' Lamkin, whan her lord was o’er the sea.
She laid a plot wi' Lamkin, whan the servants were awa',
Loot him in at a little shot-window an brought him to the ha'.
"O where's a' the men o' this house, that ca' me Lamkin?"
"They're at the barn-well thrashing; 'twill be lang ere they come in."
"O whare's the women o' this house, that ca' me Lamkin?"
"They're at the far well washing; 'twill be night or they come hame."
"An whare's the bairns o' this house, that ca' me Lamkin?"
"They're at the school reading; 'twill be night or they come hame."
"O whare's the lady o' this house, that ca’s me Lamkin?"
"Shee's up in her bower sewing, but we soon can bring her down."
Then Lamkin's tane a sharp knife that hang down by his gaire,
An he has gi’en the bonny babe a deep wound and a sair.
Then Lamkin he rocked, and the fause nourice sang,
Till frae ilka bore o' the cradle the red blood outsprang.
Then out it spak the lady, as she stood on the stair:
"What ails my bairn, nourice, that he's greeting sae sair?"
"O still my bairn, nourice, o still him wi' the pap!"
"He winna still, lady, for this nor for that."
"O still my bairn, nourice, o still him wi' the wand!"
"He winna still, lady, for a' his father's land."
"O still my bairn, nourice, o still him wi' the bell!"
"He winna still, lady, till ye come down yoursel."
O, the firsten step she steppit, shee steppit on a stane;
Bit the neisten step she steppit, she met him Lamkin.
"O mercy, mercy, Lamkin, hae mercy upon me!
Tho you've ta’en my young son's life, ye may let mysel be."
"O sall I kill her, nourice, or sall I let her be?"
"O kill her, kill her, Lamkin, for shee's ne’er was good to me."
"O scour the bason, nourice, an mak it fair an clean,
For to keep this lady's heart's blood, for she's come o' noble kin."
"There need nae bason, Lamkin, lat it run through the floor;
What better is the hart's blood o' the rich than o' the poor?"
But ere three months were at an end, Lord Wearie came again;
But dowie, dowie was his heart when first he came hame.
"O wha's blood is this?", he says, "that lies in my chamer?"
"It is your lady's heart's bluid; 'tis as clear as the lamer."
"An wha's blood is this", he says, "that lies in my ha'?"
"It is your young son's heart's blood; 'tis the cleirest ava. "
O sweetly sang the blackbird that sat upon the tree;
But sairer grat Lamkin, whan he was condemned to die.
An bonie sang the mavis, out o' the thorny brake;
Bit sairer grat the nourice, when she was tied to the stake.
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