Rare Willie
18th Century
Child Ballad 214
O Willy's rare and Willy's fair
And Willy's wondrous bonny,
And Willy says he'll marry me
Gin e'er he marries any.
O came you by yon waterside,
Pulled you the rose or lily,
Or came you by yon meadow green,
Or saw you my sweet Willy ?
She sought him east, she sought him west,
She sought him broad and narrow,
Till in the clifting of a crag
She found him drowned in Yarrow.
His hair it was three-quarters long,
Three-quarters long and yellow.
She twined it round her lily hand
And drew him out of Yarrow.
Yestreen I made my bed full broad,
Tonight I'll make it narrow.
For all the livelong winter's night
I lie twinned of my marrow.
DayPoems Poem No. 2556
<a href="http://www.daypoems.net/poems/2556.html">Rare Willie by Anonymous</a>
The DayPoems Poetry Collection, www.daypoems.net
Timothy Bovee, editor
Poets Poems