O! why pou ye the pile, Margaret?
The pile o' the gravil green;
For to destroy the bonny bairn
That we got us between.

O! why pou ye the pile, Margaret,
The pile o' the gravil gray;
For to destroy the bonny bairn,
That we got in our play?

For if it be a knave bairn,
He's heir o' a' my land;
But if it be a lass bairn,
In red gowd she shall gang.

If

my

luve were an earthly man,

As he's an elfin grey,

I cou'd gang bound, luve, for your sake, A twalmonth and a day.

Indeed your luve's an earthly man,
The same as well as thee;

And lang I've haunted Charter-woods,
A' for your fair bodie.

O! tell me, tell me, Tam-a-Line,

O! tell, an' tell me true;

Tell me this nicht, an' mak' nae lee,

What pedigree are you?

O! I hae been at gude church-door,

An' I've got christendom;

I'm the Earl o' Forbes' eldest son,
An' heir ower a' his land.

When I was young, o' three years old,
Muckle was made o' me;

My stepmither put on my claithes,
An' ill, ill-sained she me.

Ae fatal morning I gaed out,
Dreading nae injurie;

And thinking lang, fell soun asleep,

Beneath an apple tree.

Then by it came the elfin queen,
And laid her hand on me ;

And from that time since e'er I mind,
I've been in her companie.

O Elfin it's a bonny place,
In it fain wad I dwell;
But aye at ilka seven years' end,
They pay a tiend to hell,

And I'm sae fou o' flesh an' blude,
I'm sair fear'd for mysell.

O tell me, tell me, Tam-a-Line,

O tell, an' tell me true;

Tell me this nicht, an' mak' nae lee,

What way I'll borrow you?

The morn is hallowe'en nicht,

The elfin court will ride,

Through England, and thro' a' Scotland,

And through the warld wide.

O they begin at sky sett in,

Ride a' the evenin' tide;

And she that will her true love borrow,

At Miles-cross will him bide.

Ye'll do ye down to Miles-cross,
Between twall hours and ane;
And full your hands o' holie water,
And cast your compass roun'.

Then the first ane court that comes you till, Is published king and queen ;

The neist ane court that comes you till,

It is maidens mony ane.

The neist ane court that comes you till,
Is footmen, grooms, and squires;
The neist ane court that comes you till,
Is knichts; and I'll be there.

I Tam-a-Line, on milk-white steed,
A gowd star on my crown;
Because I was an earthly knicht,

Got that for a renown.

And out at my steed's right nostril
He'll breathe a fiery flame;

Ye'll loot you low, and sain yoursel,

And ye'll be busy then.

Ye'll tak' my horse then by the head,
And lat the bridal fa';

The queen o' Elfin she'll cry out,
True Tam-a-Line's awa'.

Then I'll appear into your arms,
Like the wolf that ne'er wad tame;
Ye'll haud me fast, lat me not gae,
Case we ne'er meet again.

Then I'll appear into your arms
Like fire that burns sae bauld;
Ye'll haud me fast, lat me not gae,
I'll be as iron cauld.

Then I'll appear into your arms

Like the adder an' the snake; Ye'll haud me fast, lat me not gae, I am your warld's maike.

Then I'll appear into your arms

Like to the deer sae wild;

Ye'll haud me fast, lat me not gae,

And I'll father your child.

And I'll appear into your arms

Like to a silken string;

Ye'll haud me fast, lat me not gae,
Till ye see the fair mornin'.

And I'll appear into your arms

Like to a naked man;

Ye'll haud me fast, lat me not gae,
And wi' you I'll gae hame.

Then she has done her to Miles-cross,
Between twall hours an' ane;
And filled her hands o' holie water,
And kiest her compass roun'.

The first ane court that came her till,
Was published king and queen ;
The niest ane court that came her till,
Was maidens mony ane.

The niest ane court that came her till, Was footmen, grooms, and squires; The niest ane court that came her till, Was knichts; and he was there!

True Tam-a-Line, on milk-white steed,
A gowd star on his crown;
Because he was an earthly man,

Got that for a renown.