Lochmaben Harper / The Blind Harper

There was a harper an old blind harper
He lived in Lochmaben town
And a wager he laid with lord and lady
Steal Henry's wanton brown

There was a jolly harper-man,
That harped aye frae toun to toun;
A wager he made, with two knights he laid
To steal King Henry's wanton brown.

There he sat in the pub on an evening
He was drunk and drinking wine
A wager he laid with lord and lady
Steal Henry's wanton brown

One of them bet him a house and land
And the other one bet five thousand pound
And how they laughed at the silly blind harper
Ran off to steal the wanton brown

Sir Roger he wagered five ploughs o land,
Sir Charles wagered five thousand pound,
And John he's taen the deed in hand,
To steal King Henry's wanton brown.

Up and spoke this harper's wife
And oh what a wily one was she
Go take the mare that's newly foaled
Leave her babe at home with me

He took his harp all in his hand
He run playing all round the town
And the king high in his highland home
His ears were touched by all that sound

He's taen his harp into his hand,
And he gaed harping thro the toun,
And as the king in his palace sat,
His ear was touched wi the soun.

Come in come in now you John Harper
More of your music we would hear
Yes that I will says John Harper
But I must have stabling for my mare

Come in, come in, ye harper-man,
Some o your harping let me hear;'
Indeed, my liege, and by your grace,
I'd rather hae stabling to my mare.'

You go down to the outer court
That stands a bit below the town
And you can leave her warm and snug
And next to my own wanton brown

Ye'll gang to yon outer court,
That stands a little below the toun;
Ye'll find a stable snug and neat,
Where stands my stately wanton brown.'

And he's gone down to the outer court
That stands a bit below the town
And there he spied the stable snug
Where stately stood the wanton brown

He's down him to the outer court,
That stood a little below the toun;
There found a stable snug and neat,
For stately stood the wanton brown.

And he took out a good strong halter
How the horse come to his call
As he slipped it o'er the wanton's nose
Tied the end to his mare's tail

Then he has fixd a good strong cord
Unto his grey mare's bridle-rein,
And tied it unto that steed's tail,
Syne shut the stable-door behin.

And he took out a good strong halter
How the horse come to his call
As he slipped it o'er the wanton's nose
Tied the end to his mare's tail

And he has played in the king's high hall
And he has played them deep asleep
And he's gone down to his hands and knees
And he crawled into the street

Then he harped on, an he carped on,
Till all were fast asleep;
Then down thro bower and ha he's gone,
Even on his hands and feet.

And he's away to the outer court
That stands a bit below the town
And the guards slept as he let out the mare
Tied safe to the wanton brown

He's to yon stable snug and neat,
That lay a little below the toun;
For there he placed his ain grey mare,
Alang wi Henry's wanton brown.

Just you run through the moss you run through mire
Through many's the bog and the lairy hole
And don't you let this wanton slack
Till you get home to your own foal

'Ye'll do you down thro mire an moss,
Thro mony bog an lairy hole;
But never miss your Wanton slack;
Ye'll gang to Mayblane, to your foal.'

Soon as the door he has unshut
The mare ran prancing round the town
And there behind keeping close
She towed the stately wanton brown

As soon's the door he had unshut,
The mare gaed prancing frae the town,
An at her bridle-rein was tied
Henry's stately wanton brown.

They ran through the moss they ran through mire
Through many's the bog and the lairy hole
And she never let this wanton slack
Till she got home to her own foal

Then she did rin thro mire an moss,
'Thro mony bog an miery hole;
But never missed her Wanton slack
Till she reachd Mayblane, to her foal.

John played in the king's high hall
Till the king called him and aloud he cried
O wake wake now you John Harper
We have slept till nearly day

When the king awaked from sleep
He to the harper-man did say,
O waken ye, waken ye, jolly John,
We've fairly slept till it is day.

Get up get up now you John Harper
More of your music we will hear
Yes that I will says John Harper
But I must go see to my grey mare

Win up, win up, ye harper-man,
Some mair o harping ye'll gie me:'
He said, My liege, wi a'my heart,
But first my gude grey mare maun see.

He's gone down to the outer court
And back he's come with many's the tear
Thieves broke in the outer court
Stole away my good grey mare

Then forth he ran, and in he came,
Dropping mony a feigned tear:
'Some rogue[s] hae broke the outer court,
An stown awa my gude grey mare.'

O my soul and cries the king
If there be thieves all in this town
And they have taken your grey mare
Then they have stolen the wanton brown

'Then by my sooth,' the king replied,
'If there'a been rogues into the toun,
I fear, as well as gour grey mare,
Awa is my stately wanton brown.'

'My loss is great,' the harper said,
My loss is twice as great, I fear;
In Scotland I lost a gude grey steed,
An here I've lost a gude grey mare.'

Play play now you John Harper
Give me music to my ear
And I will pay you for your song
If three times for your grey mare

'Come on, come on, ye harper-man,
Some o your music lat me hear;
Well paid ye'se be, John, for the same,
An likewise for gour gude grey mare.'

John played and John got paid
And John ran paid all from the town
Never did King Henry think
He'd stolen away his wanton brown

When that John his monie received,
Then he went harping frae the toun,
But little did King Henry ken
He'd stown awa his wanton brown.

Lords stood at the high town wall
And they beheld both dale and town
There they spied this John Harper
Come walking back down to the town

The knights then lay ower castle-wa,
An they beheld baith dale an down,
An saw the jolly harper-man
Come harping on to Striveling toun.

O my soul and cries the lord
How come you come home so soon
Oh we see you've no grey mare
Still you have no wanton brown

Then, 'By my sooth,' Sir Roger said,
Are ye returned back to toun?
I doubt my lad ye hae ill sped
Of stealing o the wanton brown.'

I hae been into fair England,
An even into Lunan toun,
An in King Henry's outer court,
An stown awa the wanton brown.'

Aye ye lie then cries the boy
I took him so suddenly
I was paid for my music
And three times for my grey mare

Ye lie, ye lie,' Sir Charles he said,
An aye sae loud's I hear ye lie;
Twall armed men, in armour bright,
They guard the stable night and day.'

But I did harp them all asleep,
An managed my business cunnilie
If ye make light o what I say
Come to my stable an ye'll see

'My music pleasd the king sae well
More o my harping he wished to hear;
An for the same he paid me well,
And also for my gude grey mare'

He took them to his own stable
Open wide the door he spun
There's the mare there's the foal
And there's the stately wanton brown

Then he drew out a gude lang purse
Well stored wi gowd and white monie,
An in a short time after this
The wanton brown he lat them see.

One paid up his house and land
The other one paid five thousand pound
And how he laughed did John Harper
Who stole away the wanton brown

Sir Roger produced his ploughs o land,
Sir Charles produced his thousand pounds,
Then back to Henry, the English king,
Restored the stately wanton brown.