Captain Wedderburn Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A B C D E F G F D HDDF IFJF HGFC IFJF HGFC HFKF GGGC F FCL DDJ GGL GGJ FFJ FGF FFM FFMJ FFL FFL FFJJ FFJ FFLM FFF DDJJ DDF DDF DDJJ| The Text is from Kinloch's MSS where it was written down from the recitation of Mary Barr it is entitled 'The Earl of Rosslyn's Daughter ' | A |
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| The Story is the converse of A Noble Riddle Wisely Expounded in which the maid wins a husband by riddles in the present one the captain out riddles the maid Similar tales are very popular in many lands being found in Persia Russia Norway Sweden Denmark Turkey Lithuania East Siberia etc | B |
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| Most of the lady's riddles are found in an old English song and its traditional derivatives The song which is given below is found in Sloane MS which contains other carols and ballads see pp A From this is derived the nursery song beginning | C |
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| 'I had four brothers over the sea' | D |
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| with many variations 'four sisters ' 'six lovers ' 'a true lover' and with a curious half Latin refrain which varies between | E |
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| Para mara dictum domine | F |
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| and | G |
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| Peri meri dixi domine | F |
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| The following is the song referred to above It was twice printed by T Wright from the fifteenth century MS | D |
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| I have a yong suster | H |
| fer beyondyn the se | D |
| Many be the drowryis | D |
| that che sente me | F |
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| Che sente me the cherye | I |
| withoutyn ony ston | F |
| And so che dede the dowe | J |
| withoutyn ony bon | F |
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| Sche sente me the brere | H |
| withoutyn ony rynde | G |
| Sche bad me love my lemman | F |
| withoute longgyng | C |
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| How xuld ony cherye | I |
| be withoute ston | F |
| And how xuld ony dowe | J |
| ben withoute bon | F |
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| How xuld any brere | H |
| ben withoute rynde | G |
| How xuld I love my lemman | F |
| without longyng | C |
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| Quan the cherye was a flour | H |
| than hadde it non ston | F |
| Quan the dowe was an ey | K |
| than hadde it non bon | F |
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| Quan the brere was onbred | G |
| than hadde it non rynd | G |
| Quan the mayden hayt that che lovit | G |
| che is without longing | C |
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| CAPTAIN WEDDERBURN | F |
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| The Lord of Rosslyn's daughter gaed through the wud her lane | F |
| And there she met Captain Wedderburn a servant to the king | C |
| He said unto his livery man 'Were 't na agen the law | L |
| I wad tak her to my ain bed and lay her at the wa' ' | - |
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| 'I'm walking here my lane ' she says 'amang my father's trees | D |
| And ye may lat me walk my lane kind sir now gin ye please | D |
| The supper bell it will be rung and I'll be miss'd awa' | J |
| Sae I'll na lie in your bed at neither stock nor wa' ' | - |
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| He said 'My pretty lady I pray lend me your hand | G |
| And ye'll hae drums and trumpets always at your command | G |
| And fifty men to guard ye wi' that weel their swords can draw | L |
| Sae we'll baith lie in ae bed and ye'll lie at the wa' ' | - |
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| 'Haud awa' frae me kind sir I pray lat go my hand | G |
| The supper bell it will be rung nae langer maun I stand | G |
| My father he'll na supper tak gif I be miss'd awa' | J |
| Sae I'll na lie in your bed at neither stock nor wa' ' | - |
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| 'O my name is Captain Wedderburn my name I'll ne'er deny | F |
| And I command ten thousand men upo' yon mountains high | F |
| Tho' your father and his men were here of them I'd stand na awe | J |
| But should tak ye to my ain bed and lay ye neist the wa' ' | - |
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| Then he lap aff his milk white steed and set the lady on | F |
| And a' the way he walk'd on foot he held her by the hand | G |
| He held her by the middle jimp for fear that she should fa' | F |
| Saying 'I'll tak ye to my ain bed and lay thee at the wa' ' | - |
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| He took her to his quartering house his landlady looked ben | F |
| Saying 'Monie a pretty ladie in Edinbruch I've seen | F |
| But sic 'na pretty ladie is not into it a' | M |
| Gae mak for her a fine down bed and lay her at the wa' ' | - |
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| 'O haud awa' frae me kind sir I pray ye lat me be | F |
| For I'll na lie in your bed till I get dishes three | F |
| Dishes three maun be dress'd for me gif I should eat them a' | M |
| Before I lie in your bed at either stock or wa' | J |
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| 'Tis I maun hae to my supper a chicken without a bane | F |
| And I maun hae to my supper a cherry without a stane | F |
| And I maun hae to my supper a bird without a gaw | L |
| Before I lie in your bed at either stock or wa' ' | - |
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| 'Whan the chicken's in the shell I'm sure it has na bane | F |
| And whan the cherry's in the bloom I wat it has na stane | F |
| The dove she is a genty bird she flees without a gaw | L |
| Sae we'll baith lie in ae bed and ye'll be at the wa' ' | - |
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| 'O haud awa' frae me kind sir I pray ye give me owre | F |
| For I'll na lie in your bed till I get presents four | F |
| Presents four ye maun gie me and that is twa and twa | J |
| Before I lie in your bed at either stock or wa' | J |
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| 'Tis I maun hae some winter fruit that in December grew | F |
| And I maun hae a silk mantil that waft gaed never through | F |
| A sparrow's horn a priest unborn this nicht to join us twa | J |
| Before I lie in your bed at either stock or wa' ' | - |
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| 'My father has some winter fruit that in December grew | F |
| My mither has a silk mantil the waft gaed never through | F |
| A sparrow's horn ye soon may find there's ane on ev'ry claw | L |
| And twa upo' the gab o' it and ye shall get them a' | M |
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| 'The priest he stands without the yett just ready to come in | F |
| Nae man can say he e'er was born nae man without he sin | F |
| He was haill cut frae his mither's side and frae the same let fa' | F |
| Sae we'll baith lie in ae bed and ye'se lie at the wa' ' | - |
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| 'O haud awa' frae me kind sir I pray don't me perplex | D |
| For I'll na lie in your bed till ye answer questions six | D |
| Questions six ye maun answer me and that is four and twa | J |
| Before I lie in your bed at either stock or wa' | J |
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| 'O what is greener than the gress what's higher than thae trees | D |
| O what is worse than women's wish what's deeper than the seas | D |
| What bird craws first what tree buds first what first does on them fa' | F |
| Before I lie in your bed at either stock or wa' ' | - |
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| 'Death is greener than the gress heaven higher than thae trees | D |
| The devil's waur than women's wish hell's deeper than the seas | D |
| The cock craws first the cedar buds first dew first on them does fa' | F |
| Sae we'll baith lie in ae bed and ye'se lie at the wa' ' | - |
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| Little did this lady think that morning whan she raise | D |
| That this was for to be the last o' a' her maiden days | D |
| But there's na into the king's realm to be found a blither twa | J |
| And now she's Mrs Wedderburn and she lies at the wa' | J |
Frank Sidgwick
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