| Lyrics: | I forbid you maidens all that wear gold in your hair
To travel to Carter Hall for young Tam Lin
is there
None that go by Carter Hall but they leave him a pledge
Either their
mantles of green or else their maidenhead"
Janet tied her kirtle green a bit above her
knee
And she's gone to Carter Hall as fast as go can she
She'd not pulled a double
rose, a rose but only two
When up there came young Tam Lin says "Lady, pull no
more"
"And why come you to Carter Hall without command from me?"
"I'll come and go",
young Janet said, "and ask no leave of thee"
Janet tied her kirtle green a bit above her
knee
And she's gone to her father as fast as go can she
Well, up then spoke her
father dear and he spoke meek and mild
"Oh, and alas, Janet," he said, "I think you go with
child"
"Well, if that be so," Janet said, "myself shall bear the blame
There's not a
knight in all your hall shall get the baby's name
For if my love were an earthly knight
as he is an elfin grey
I'd not change my own true love for any knight you
have"
Janet tied her kirtle green a bit above her knee
And she's gone to Carter Hall
as fast as go can she
"Oh, tell to me, Tam Lin," she said, "why came you here to
dwell?"
"The Queen of Faeries caught me when from my horse I fell
And at the end of
seven years she pays a tithe to hell
I so fair and full of flesh and feared it be
myself
But tonight is Hallowe'en and the faery folk ride
Those that would their true
love win at Miles Cross they must buy
So first let past the horses black and then let
past the brown
Quickly run to the white steed and pull the rider down
For I'll ride
on the white steed, the nearest to the town
For I was an earthly knight, they give me that
renown
Oh, they will turn me in your arms to a newt or a snake
But hold me tight and
fear not, I am your baby's father
And they will turn me in your arms into a lion
bold
But hold me tight and fear not and you will love your child
And they will turn
me in your arms into a naked knight
But cloak me in your mantle and keep me out of
sight"
In the middle of the night she heard the bridle ring
She heeded what he did
say and young Tam Lin did win
Then up spoke the Faery Queen, an angry queen was
she
Woe betide her ?ill-fought? face, an ill death may she die
"Oh, had I known, Tam
Lin," she said, "what this knight I did see
I have looked him in the eyes and turned him to a
tree |
