Page:Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1918.djvu/477

 ANONYMOUS


 * O father, father, draw your dam!

There 's either a mermaid or a milk-white swan.'

The miller hasted and drew his dam, And there he found a drown'd woman.

You couldna see her middle sma', Her gowden girdle was sac braw.

You couldna see her lily feet, Her gowden fringes were sae deep.

All amang her yellow hair

A string o' pearls was twisted rare.

You couldna see her fingers sma%

Wi' diamond rings they were cover'd a*.

And by there cam a harper fine, That harpit to the king at dine.

And when he look'd that lady on, He sigh'd and made a heavy moan.

He 's made a harp of her breast-bane, Whose sound wad melt a heart of stane.

He 's ta'en three locks o' her yellow hair, And wi' them strung his harp sae rare.

He went into her father's hall,

And there was the court assembled all.

He laid his harp upon a stane,

And straight it began to play by lane.

And yonder sits my mother, the Queen;
 * O yonder sits my father, the King,

by lane] alone, of itself.

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