Two Magicians

The lady stands there in her bower door

She’s as straight as a willow wand

And the blacksmith stood a little fore-bye

With a hammer in his hand

Well may ye dress ye lady fair

Into your robes of red

Before the morn before the morn at this same time

I will gain your maidenhead

Away, away you go you coal blacksmith

Would you really do me the wrong

To think to gain my maidenhead

My maidenhead that I have kept so long

Then she has had up her hand

And she swore by the mould

I wouldn’t a be, I wouldn’t a be a blacksmiths wife

For the fullest chest of gold

 

Oh I’d rather I was dead and gone

And my body laid in grave

Than a rusty stack a coal black smith

My maidenhead should ever take

But he’s had up his hand

And he swore by the mass

Oh yes I tell you I will be your man

Your man for their half of that and less

O bide will you lady, bide,

And how he bade her bide;

And now the rusty smith your man shall be

Your man for all your muckle pride.

And then at once she became a turtle dove

So to fly up in the air

And to her rise he became another dove

And they did fly out pair and pair

She turned herself into a hare

To run on yonder hill

He then at once became a young greyhound

And oh so boldly did he fill

Then the lady then she became a dappled mare

And she stood there reins in slack

And all at once he became a gilded saddle

And he sat himself upon her back

Oh bide will you lady bide

Still he bade her bide

And the rusty smith her man became

Her man for all her muckle pride

The lady turned herself into a ship

So she might sail out over the sea

And so of course a captain he became

And sure aboard of her went he

Then she became a silken plaid

And stretched upon a bed

And all at once he became an eiderdown

And he gained her maiden head

Still he bade her bide

Still he bade her bide

And the lusty smith became her love

Her love for all her muckle pride