Tam Lin                                                                                                 -Francis James Child
 .
Janet has kilted her green kirtle
A little aboon her knee,
And she has snooded her yellow hair
A little aboon her bree,
And she is to her father's ha,
As fast as she can hie.
.
Four and twenty ladies fair
Were playing at the ba,
And out then cam the fair Janet,
Ance the flower amang them a'.
.
Four and twenty ladies fair
Were playing at the chess,
And out then cam the fair Janet,
As green as onie glass.
.
Out then spak an auld grey knight,
Lay oer the castle wa,
Ans says, Alas, fair Janet, for thee
But we'll be blamed a'.
.
'Haud your tongue, ye auld fae'd knight,
Some ill death may ye die!
Father my bairn on whom I will,
I'll father nane on thee.'
.
Out then spak her father dear,
And he spak meek and mild;
'And ever alas, sweet Janet,' he says,
'I think thou gaes with child.'
.
'If that I gae wi child, father,
Mysel maun bear the blame;
There's neer a laird about your ha
Shall get the bairn's name.
.
'If my love were an earthly knight,
As he's an elfin grey,
I wad na gie my ain true-love
For nae lord that ye hae.
.
'The steed that my true-love rides on
Is lighter than the wind;
Wi siller he is shod before,
Wi burning gowd behind.'
.
Janet has kilted her green kirtle
A little aboon her knee,
And she has snooded her yellow hair
A little aboon her bree,
And she's awa to Carterhaugh
As fast as she can hie.
.
When she came to Carterhaugh,
Tam Lin was at the well,
And there she fand his steed standing,
But away was himsel.
.
She had ne pu'd a double rose,
A rose but only twa,
Till up then started young Tam Lin,
Says Lady, thou pu's nae mae.
.
Why pu's thou the rose, Janet,
Amang the groves sae green,
And a' to kill the bonnie babe
That we gat us between?'
.
'O tell me, tell me, Tam Lin,' she says,
'For's sake that died on tree,
If eer ye was in holy chapel,
Or Christendom did see?'
.
'Roxbrugh he was my grandfather,
Took me with him to bide,
And ance it fell upon a day
That wae did me betide.
.
'And ance it fell upon a day,
A cauld day and a snell,
When we were frae the hunting come
The frae my horse I fell;
The Queen o Fairies she caught me,
In yon green hill to dwell.
.
'And pleasant is the fairy land,
But, an eerie tale to tell,
Ay at the end of seven years
We pay a tiend to hell;
I am sae fair and fu o flesh,
I'm feard it be myself.
.
'But the night is Halloween, lady,
The morn is Hallowday;
Then win me, win me, an ye will,
For weel I wat ye may.
.
'Just at the mirk and midnight hour
The fairy folk will ride,
And they that was their true-love win,
At Miles Cross they maun bide.'
.
'But how shall I thee ken, Tam Lin,
Or how my true-love know,
Amang sae mony unco knights,
The like I never saw?'
.
'O first let pass the black, lady,
And syne let pass the brown,
But quickly run to the milk-white steed,
Pu ye his rider down.
.
'For I'll ride on the milk-white steed,
And ay nearest the town;
Because I was an earthly knight
They gie me that renown.
.
'My right hand will be glovd, lady,
My left hand will be bare,
Cockt up shall my bonnet be,
And kaimd down shall be my hair,
And thae's the takens I gie thee,
Nae doubt I will be there.
.
'They'll turn me in your arms, lady,
 Into an esk and adder;
But hold me fast, and fear me not,
I am your bairn's father.
.
'They'll turn me into a bear sae grim,
And then a lion bold;
But hold me fast, and fear me not,
As ye shall love your child.
.
Again they'll turn me in your arms
To a red het gaud of airn;
But hold me fast, and fear me not,
I'll do to you nae harm.
.
'And last they'll turn me in your arms
Into the burning gleed;
Then throw me into well water,
O throw me in with speed.
.
'And then I'll be your ain true-love,
I'll turn a naked knight;
Then cover me wi your green mantle,
And cover me out of sight.'
.
Gloomy, gloomy was the night,
And eerie was the way,
As fair Janet in her green mantle
To Miles Cross she did gae.
.
About the middle of the night
She heard the bridles ring;
This lady was as glad at that
As any earthly thing.
.
First she let the black pass by,
And syne she let the brown,
But quickly she ran to the milk-white steed,
And pu'd the rider down.
.
Sae weel she minded what he did say,
And young Tam Lin did win;
Syne covered him wi her green mantle,
As blythe's a bird in spring.
.
Out then spak the Queen o Fairies,
Out of a bush o broom,
'Them that has gotten young Tam Lin
Has gotten a stately groom.'
.
Out then spak the Queen o Fairies,
And an angry woman was she:
'Shame betide her ill-far'd face,
And an ill death may she die,
For she's taen awa the bonniest knight
In a' my companie.
.
'But had I kend, Tam Lin,' she says,
'What now this night I see,
I wad hae taen out thy twa grey een,
And put in twa een o tree.'