Young Bekie Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A B C C D CEFE FDAD AGBB EBEB EDH CBBB IBID DIHI CICI CBIB CEBE ECIC DEE CJBC EBCB IGHD CBHG CBHB CBB IGHD CBHG CBHB C BB CCCC CBI IBBD HBBB CBB CBB DBC IBBB DBDC CBI CBDB IKB BBB

The Text is that of the Jamieson Brown MS taken down from the recitation of Mrs Brown about In printing the ballad Jamieson collated with the above two other Scottish copies one in MS another a stall copy a third from recitation in the north of England a fourth 'picked off an old wall in Piccadilly' by the editorA
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The Story has several variations of detail in the numerous versions known Young Bicham Brechin Bekie Beachen Beichan Bichen Lord Beichan Lord Bateman Young Bondwell etc but the text here given is one of the most complete and vivid and contains besides one feature the 'Belly Blin' lost in all other versions but oneB
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A similar story is current in the ballad literature of Scandinavia Spain and Italy but the English tale has undoubtedly been affected by the charming legend of Gilbert Becket the father of Saint Thomas who having been captured by Admiraud a Saracen prince and held in durance vile was freed by Admiraud's daughter who then followed him to England knowing no English but 'London' and 'Gilbert' and after much tribulation found him and was married to him 'Becket' is sufficiently near 'Bekie' to prove contamination but not to prove that the legend is the origin of the balladC
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The Belly Blin Billie Blin billie a man blin' blind and so Billie Blin Blindman's Buff formerly called Hoodman Blind occurs in certain other ballads such as Cospatrick Willie's Lady and the Knight and the Shepherd's Daughter also in a mutilated ballad of the Percy Folio King Arthur and King Cornwall under the name Burlow Beanie In the latter case he is described as 'a lodly feend with seuen heads and one body ' breathing fire but in general he is a serviceable household demon Cp German bilwiz and Dutch belewitteC
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YOUNG BEKIED
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Young Bekie was as brave a knightC
As ever sail'd the seaE
An' he's doen him to the court of FranceF
To serve for meat and feeE
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He had nae been i' the court of FranceF
A twelvemonth nor sae longD
Til he fell in love with the king's daughterA
An' was thrown in prison strongD
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The king he had but ae daughterA
Burd Isbel was her nameG
An' she has to the prison house ganeB
To hear the prisoner's maneB
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'O gin a lady woud borrow meE
At her stirrup foot I woud rinB
Or gin a widow wad borrow meE
I woud swear to be her sonB
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'Or gin a virgin woud borrow meE
I woud wed her wi' a ringD
I'd gi' her ha's I'd gie her bowersH
The bonny tow'rs o' Linne '-
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O barefoot barefoot gaed she butC
An' barefoot came she benB
It was no for want o' hose an' shooneB
Nor time to put them onB
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But a' for fear that her father dearI
Had heard her making dinB
She's stown the keys o' the prison house dorI
An' latten the prisoner gangD
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O whan she saw him Young BekieD
Her heart was wondrous sairI
For the mice but an' the bold rottonsH
Had eaten his yallow hairI
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She's gi'en him a shaver for his beardC
A comber till his hairI
Five hunder pound in his pocketC
To spen' and nae to spairI
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She's gi'en him a steed was good in needC
An' a saddle o' royal boneB
A leash o' hounds o' ae litterI
An' Hector called oneB
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Atween this twa a vow was madeC
'Twas made full solemnlyE
That or three years was come and ganeB
Well married they shoud beE
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He had nae been in's ain countryE
A twelvemonth till an endC
Till he's forc'd to marry a duke's daughterI
Or than lose a' his landC
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'Ohon alas ' says Young BekieD
'I know not what to deeE
For I canno win to Burd IsbelE
And she kensnae to come to me '-
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O it fell once upon a dayC
Burd Isbel fell asleepJ
An' up it starts the Belly BlinB
An' stood at her bed feetC
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'O waken waken Burd IsbelE
How can you sleep so soun'B
Whan this is Bekie's wedding dayC
An' the marriage gain' onB
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'Ye do ye to your mither's bow'rI
Think neither sin nor shameG
An' ye tak twa o' your mither's marysH
To keep ye frae thinking langD
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'Ye dress yoursel' in the red scarletC
An' your marys in dainty greenB
An' ye pit girdles about your middlesH
Woud buy an earldomeG
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'O ye gang down by yon sea sideC
An' down by yon sea stran'B
Sae bonny will the Hollans boatsH
Come rowin' till your han'B
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'Ye set your milk white foot abordC
Cry Hail ye DomineB
An' I shal be the steerer o'tB
To row you o'er the sea '-
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She's tane her till her mither's bow'rI
Thought neither sin nor shameG
An' she took twa o' her mither's marysH
To keep her frae thinking langD
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She dress'd hersel' i' the red scarletC
Her marys i' dainty greenB
And they pat girdles about their middlesH
Woud buy an earldomeG
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An' they gid down by yon sea sideC
An' down by yon sea stran'B
Sae bonny did the Hollan boatsH
Come rowin' to their han'B
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She set her milk white foot on boardC
Cried 'Hail ye Domine '-
An' the Belly Blin was the steerer o'tB
To row her o'er the seaB
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Whan she came to Young Bekie's gateC
She heard the music playC
Sae well she kent frae a' she heardC
It was his wedding dayC
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She's pitten her han' in her pocketC
Gin the porter guineas threeB
'Hae tak ye that ye proud porterI
Bid the bride groom speake to me '-
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O whan that he cam up the stairI
He fell low down on his kneeB
He hail'd the king an' he hail'd the queenB
An' he hail'd him Young BekieD
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'O I've been porter at your gatesH
This thirty years an' threeB
But there's three ladies at them nowB
Their like I never did seeB
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'There's ane o' them dress'd in red scarletC
And twa in dainty greenB
An' they hae girdles about their middlesB
Woud buy an earldome '-
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Then out it spake the bierly brideC
Was a' goud to the chinB
'Gin she be braw without ' she saysB
'We's be as braw within '-
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Then up it starts him Young BekieD
An' the tears was in his eeB
'I'll lay my life it's Burd IsbelC
Come o'er the sea to me '-
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O quickly ran he down the stairI
An' whan he saw 'twas sheB
He kindly took her in his armsB
And kiss'd her tenderlyB
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'O hae ye forgotten Young BekieD
The vow ye made to meB
Whan I took ye out o' the prison strongD
Whan ye was condemn'd to dieC
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'I gae you a steed was good in needC
An' a saddle o' royal boneB
A leash o' hounds o' ae litterI
An' Hector called one '-
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It was well kent what the lady saidC
That it wasnae a leeB
For at ilka word the lady spakeD
The hound fell at her kneeB
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'Tak hame tak hame your daughter dearI
A blessing gae her wi'K
For I maun marry my Burd IsbelB
That's come o'er the sea to me '-
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'Is this the custom o' your houseB
Or the fashion o' your lan'B
To marry a maid in a May mornin'B
An' send her back at even '-

Frank Sidgwick



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