Tam Lin

Oh, I forbid you maidens all That wear gold in your hair To come or go by Carterhaugh For young Tam Lin is there If you go by Carterhaugh You must leave him a wad Either your rings or green mantle Or else your maidenhead She's away o'er gravel green And o'er the gravel brown She's away to Carterhaugh To flour herself a gown She had not pulled a rosy rose A rose but barely one When by came this brisk young man Says, lady let alone How dare you pull my rose, Madam? How dare you break my tree? How dare you come to Carter Hall Without the leave of me? Well may I pull the rose, she said Well may I break the tree For Carter Haugh it my father's I'll ask no leave of thee Oh, in Carterhaugh, in Carterhaugh Oh, in Carterhaugh, in Carterhaugh He's taken her by the milk-white hand And there he's laid her down And there he asked no leave of her As she lay on the ground. Oh tell me, tell me, then she said Oh tell me who art thee My name it is Tam Lin, he said And this is my story As it fell out upon a day A-hunting I did ride There came a wind out of the north And pulled me betide And drowsy, drowsy as I was The sleep upon me fell The Queen of Fairies she was there And took me to herself Oh, in Carterhaugh, in Carterhaugh Oh, in Carterhaugh, in Carterhaugh At the end of every seven years They pay a tithe to Hell And I'm so fair and full of flesh I'm feared 'twill be myself Tonight it is good Hallowe'en The fairy court will ride And if you would your true love win At Miles Cross, you must bide Oh, in Carterhaugh, in Carterhaugh Oh, in Carterhaugh, in Carterhaugh Gloomy was the night And eerie was the way This lady in her green mantle To Miles Cross she did go With the holy water in her hand She cast the compass round At twelve o'clock the fairy court Came riding o'er the mound First came by the black steed And then came by the brown Then Tam Lin on the milk-white steed With a gold star in his crown She's pulled him down into her arms And let the bridle fall The Queen of Fairy she cried out Young Tam Lin is away They've shaped him in her arms Into an roaring snake She's held him fast and feared him not To be her lovely mate They've shaped him in her arms again Fire burning bold She's held him fast and feared him not Till he was iron cold They've shaped him in her arms To a wood black beast so wild She's held him fast and feared him not The father of her child They've shaped him in her arms at last Into a naked man She's wrapped him in the green mantle And knew that she had him won The Queen of Fairies she cried out Young Tam Lin is away Had I known, had I known, Tam Lin Long before, long before you came from home Had I known, I would have taken out your heart And put in a heart of stone Had I known, had I known, Tam Lin That a lady, a lady would steal thee Had I known, I would have taken out your eyes And put into a rowan tree Had I known, had I known, Tam Lin That I would lose, that I would lose the day Had I known, I would have paid my tithe to hell Before you'd been won away