Full Image

Single Greeting Card (with matching Envelope)

Code: VH BWW M11 SGC
Price: US$5.00

Detail (for reference)

Reproduction on 8x12'' sheet

Code: VH BWW M11 8x12
Price: US$30.00

Reproduction on 12x18'' sheet

Code: VH BWW M11 12x18
Price: US$60.00

Young Benjie

Of a' the maids o' fair Scotland,

The fairest was Marjorie;

And young Benjie was her ae true-love,

And a dear ture-love was he.

And wow! but they were lovers dear,

And lov'd full constantlie;

But aye the mair when they fell out,

The sairer was their plea.

And they hae quarrel'd on a day,

Till Marjorie's heart grew wae;

And she said she'd choose another love,

And let young Benjie gae.

And he was stout and proud-hearted,

And thought o't bitterlie;

And he's gane by the wan moonlight

To meet his Marjorie.

"O, open, open, my true-love;

O, open, and let me in!" –

"I darena open, young Benjie,

My three brothers are within." –

"Ye lee, ye lee, ye bonny burd,

Sae loud's I hear ye lee;

As I came by the Lowden banks,

They bade gude e'en to mee.

"But fare ye weel, myae fause love,

That I hae lov'd  sae lang;

It sets ye choose another love,

And let young Benjie gang."

Then Marjorie turn'd her round about,

The tear blinding her ee –

"I darena, darena let thee in,

But I'll come down to thee."

Then saft she smil'd, and said to him –

"O, what ill hae I done?"

He took her in his armès twa,

And threw her o'er the linn.

The stream was strang, the maid was stout,

And laith, laith to be dang,

But, ere she wan the Lowden banks,

Her fair colour was wan.

Then up bespake her eldest brother –

"O, see na ye what I do see?"

And out then spake her second brother –

"It is our sister Marjorie."

Out then spake her eldest brother –

"O, how shall we he ken?"

And out then spake her youngest brother –

"There's a honey-mark on her chin."

Then they've ta'en up the comely corpse,

And laid it on the ground,

"O, wha has kill'd our ae sister,

And how can he be found?

"The night it is her low lyke-wake,

The morn her burial day,

And we maun watch at mirk midnight,

And hear what she will say."

Wi' doors ajar, and candles light,

And torches burning clear,

The streekit corpse, till still midnight,

They wak'd, but naething hear.

About the middle o' the night

The cocks began to craw;

And at the dead hour o' the night

The corpse began to thraw.

"O, wha has done thee wrang, sister,

Or dar'd the deadly sin?

Wha was saw stout, and fear'd nae dout,

As throw ye o'er the linn?" –

"Young Benjie was the first ae man

I laid my love upon;

Hw was sae stout and proud-hearted,

He threw me o'er the linn." –

"Shall we young Benjie head, sister?

Shall we young Benjie hang?

Or shall we pike out his twa gray een,

And punish him ere he gang?" –

"Ye mauna Benjie head, brothers,

Ye mauna Benjie hand,

But ye maun pike out his twa grey een,

And punish him ere he gang.

"Tie a green gravat round his neck,

And lead him out and in,

And the best ae servant about your house

To wait young Benjie on.

And aye, at every seven years' end,

Ye'll take him to the linn;

For that's the penance he maun dree,

To scug his deadly sin."