Heir Of Linne

歌詞

The bonny head and the well fed heir The handsome heir o' Linne Yonder he stands at his father's gate And nobody bids him in See where he goes and see where he stands The weary heir of Linne Yonder he stands on the cold causeway And nobody bids him in He's sold his father's estate and land He's sold it on a day Within three-quarters of a year He's not one brass penny For he has drunk of the wine so clear Good company spent his gold And now he wanders on the shore Hungry, wet and cold His nurse at her window she looked out Beholding dale and down And there she saw this sad young man Come walking to the town "Come here, come here my child," she said "And rest yourself with me I've seen you in much better days In jovial company" "Give me a slice of your bread, Nursey And a bottle of your wine I'll pay you for it o'er again When I'm the Lord of Linne" "You'll get a slice of my bread, my child And a bottle of my wine But pay me when the seas run dry You'll never be Lord of Linne" Then he has turned him right about As any mother's son So off he has set and found his way And straightway came to Linne But when he came to the castle strong They were all sat down to dine A score of nobles there he saw Sat drinking at the wine Some said, "Give him the beef, the beef" Some said, "Give him the bone" And some said, "Give him nothing at all But let the beggar roam" Then up and spake the new-come lord A saucy word spoke he "Pass round the cup, let my rival sup Then send him on his way" He's turned him right and round about As any father's son He's reminded of a leaden key His father left with him His father left a meagre key Just before he died He bade him keep it secretly Till he was most in need Then forth he went, these nobles left All drinking in the hall And he has found a bolted door Below the castle wall The key has opened up the door Wherein lies all his hope But where he thought to find good gold There stood a gibbet and rope Under the rope was placed a stool All covered o'er with dust The father had condemned the son His sentence it was just The son he sighed, stood on the stool Never a word he spoke But as he jumped to eternity Down the gibbet broke It broke and cracked above his head He landed on the floor And round him rolling, shining bright Was a hidden golden store "Oft have I gone with bitter cold feet Likewise with legs all bare And many days walked at these gates With sad sorrow and care" "But now my sorrow's past and gone Joy has all returned Now that I have gold enough To buy my lands again" As he galloped back through town He jubilantly crowed And he's called out before them all The nurse from out her house "Come here, come here my nurse," he said "I'll pay your bread and wine Seas ebb and flow as they will Yet, I'm the Lord of Linne" He's gone up the Gallowgate port In tatty hose and gown But he was carried by fifteen lords When he came back down