The ballad is given from tradition.
YOUNG BENJIE.
Of a’ the maids o’ fair Scotland,
The fairest was Marjorie;
And young Benjie was her ae true love,
And a dear true love was he.
And wow! but they were lovers dear,
And loved fu’ constantlie;
But ay the mair when they fell out,
The sairer was their plea.[A]
And they hae quarrelled on a day,
Till Marjorie’s heart
grew wae;
And she said she’d chuse another
luve,
And let young Benjie gae.
And he was stout,[B] and proud-hearted,
And thought o’t bitterlie;
And he’s ga’en by the wan
moon-light,
To meet his Marjorie.
“O open, open, my true love,
“O open, and let me
in!”
“I dare na open, young Benjie,
“My three brothers are
within.”
“Ye lied, ye lied, ye bonny burd,
“Sae loud’s I
hear ye lie;
“As I came by the Lowden banks,
“They bade gude e’en
to me.
“But fare ye weel, my ae fause love,
“That I hae loved sae
lang!
“It sets[C] ye chuse another love,
“And let young Benjie
gang.”
Then Marjorie turned her round about,
The tear blinding her ee,—
“I darena, darena, let thee in,
“But I’ll come
down to thee.”
Then saft she smiled, and said to him,
“O what ill hae I done?”
He took her in his armis twa,
And threw her o’er the
linn.
The stream was strang, the maid was stout,
And laith laith to be dang,[D]
But, ere she wan the Lowden banks,
Her fair colour was wan.