The king he has been a poor prisoner
A prisoner lang in Spain
And Willie o' the Winsbury
Has lain lang wi' his daughter at e'en

"What troubles you, my daughter dear
You look so pale and wan
Oh, have you had any sore sickness
Or yet been sleepin' wi' a man?"

"I have not had any sore sickness
Nor yet been sleepin' wi' a man
It is for you, my father dear,
For bidin' sae lang in Spain"

"Cast off, cast off your berry-brown gown
Stand naked upon a stane
That I may ken you by your shape
Whether you be a maiden or nane"

So she's cast off her berry-brown gown
Stood naked upon a stane
Her haunches were round and her apron was short
Her cheeks they were pale and wan

"Oh is he a lord or a duke or a knight
Or a man of birth or fame
Or is he one of my serving men
That's lately come out of Spain?"

"He is nae a lord nor a duke or a knight
Nor a man of birth nor fame
But he is Willie o' Winsbury
I could bide nae langer my lain"

The king has sent for his merry men all
His merry men thirty and three
Says "Bring me Willie O Winsbury
For hangeth he shall be"

But when he came the king before
He was clad in the red silk
His hair was like the strands of gold
His cheeks were as white as milk

"It is nae wonder," says the king,
"My daughter's love you did win
Had I been a woman, as I am a man
My bed-fellow you would have been"

"And will you marry my daughter Janet
By the truth of your right hand?
And will you marry my daughter Janet
And be a lord of the land"

"I will marry your daughter Janet
By the truth of my right hand
And I will marry your daughter Janet
But I won't be a lord of the land"

He's mounted her on a milk-white steed
Himself on a dapple grey
And he's made her a lady of as much land
As she could ride in a lang summer's day

Willie O' Winsbury
* (Trad - Child 100)

The King has been a poor prisoner, a prisoner lang in Spain And Willie o' the Winsbury has lain lang wi' his daughter at e'en What ails thee now my daughter Janet, you look so pale and wan Oh hae ye got any sair sickness or yet been sleeping wi' a man Oh I hae not got any sair sickness nor yet been sleeping wi' a man But it is for you my father dear, sae lang been o'er in Spain Tak' off tak' off your berry brown gown, stand naked on the stane That I may ken ye by yer shape whether ye be a maiden or nane So she's ta'en off her berry brown gown, stood naked on the stane And her back it was bent and her belly was slack and her apron strings wouldna pen Oh was it a lord or a duke or a knight or a man of wealth or fame Or was it one of my serving men wha could nae longer lie alane Oh it was not a lord or a duke or a knight or a man of wealth or fame But it was wee Willie o' the Winsbury I could nae langer lie my lane And if it be Willie o' the Winsbury as weel I trust it be Then before that I have meat or drink then it's high hanged he shall be And they sought him up and they sought him doon and they sought him sair and lang Until there in the shade of an elder tree it's Willie o' the Winsbury they found Rise up noo, Willie o' the Winsbury, they cried, Rise up and haste away For the King has sworn by his right hand that it is your dyin' day Oh wha hae I robbed or wha hae I slain or wha hae I done any wrang That I should fear to face the King and my time shall no' be lang And when he came the King before he was dressed all in the silk His cheeks they were like the berries red and his skin was as white as milk And there is nae wonder, said the King, That my daughter's love ye hae won For had I been a woman as I am a man my bedfellow you would hae been And will you marry my daughter Janet by the truth of your right hand Or will you marry my daughter Janet and I'll mak' ye a laird of the land Oh I will marry your daughter Janet by the truth of my right hand And I will marry your daughter Janet but tae hell wi' all your land And he's mounted her on a milk white steed and himself on a dapple grey And he's made her a lady of as much land as she rides on a lang summer's day (as sung by Dick Gaughan)