The Oxford Book of Ballads - online book

A Selection Of The Best English Lyric Ballads Chosen & Edited by Arthur Quiller-Couch

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YOUNG BEICHAN
XIII
She 's fed him upon the good spice-cake, The Spanish wine and the maivoisie ;
She 's broken a ring from off her finger And to Beichan half of it gave she.
XIV
' Go set your foot on good shipboard,
And haste you back to your own countrie,
But before that seven years has an end, Come back again, love, and marry me.'
xv
It was long or seven years had an end She long'd full sore her love to see ;
So she 's set her foot on good ship-board And turn'd her back on her own countrie.
xvi
She 's sailed east, she 's sailed west,
She 's sailed all across the sea, And when she came to fair England
The bells were ringing merrilie.
XVII
' O whose are a' yon flock o' sheep ?
And whose are a' yon flock o' kye ? And whose are a' yon pretty castles,
That I so often do pass by ?'
XVIII
' O they are a' Lord Beichan's sheep, And they are a' Lord Beichan's kye,
And they are a' Lord Beichan's castles That you so often do pass by.
kye] kine, cattle.
201
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