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Tam Lin

from False Orchard by Dorain

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lyrics

O I forbid you, maidens all,
That wear gold in your hair,
To come or go by Carterhaugh,
For young Tam Lin is there.

Janet’s tied her kirtle green,
A bit above her knee,
And she's away to Carterhaugh
As fast as go can she.

When she came to Carterhaugh
Tam Lin was at the well,
And there she found his waiting steed,
But away was himsel.

When she began to pull the flowers,
She pu’d both red and green;
When then appeared him, young Tam Lin
Says “Lady, let alone.

Oh why you pull the rose, the rose,
Or why climb you the tree?
Or why come you to Carterhaugh
Without the leave of me?”

“O I will pull the flowers,” she said,
“Or I will break the tree,
I'll come and go by Carterhaugh,
And ask no leave at thee.”

He took her by the milk-white hand,
And by the grass green sleeve,
And he has laid this lady down
Among the roses green

Out then spoke her father,
And he spoke meek and mild,
"Oh, alas, my Janet,
I think you go with child."

“Father, if I go with child,
Myself must bear the blame,
There's not a lad in all your hall,
Shall give the baby’s name.

If my lord were an earthly knight,
As he's an elfish grey,
I wouldn’t give my own true love
For any lord ye hae'”

Janet’s tied her kirtle green,
A bit above her knee,
And she's away to Carterhaugh
As fast as go can she.

“Oh tell to me, Tam Lin, she says
Why came you here to dwell?”
“The queen of fairies caught me
When from my horse I fell

"And pleasant is the fairy land, but
an eerie tale to tell,
Ay at the end of seven years,
We pay a tine to hell,

Ay at the end of seven years,
We pay a tine to hell,
As I am made of flesh and blood,
I'm fear it be mysel.

“The night it is good Halloween,
And the fairie folk do ride,
And they that would their true-love win,
At Miles Cross they must bide.

For some ride on the black, my love, and
some, they’ll ride on the brown,
But I’ll ride on a milk-white steed,
Pull you his rider down

"First they’ll turn me in your arms,
To an adder and a snake,
But hold me fast, and fear me not,
I am your earthly mate.

"Next they’ll turn me to a bear,
And then a lion wild,
But hold me fast, and fear me not,
And you shall love your child.

And then I’ll grow all in your arms
Like iron in hot fire;
But hold me fast, and fear me not,
You’ll have your desire.”

Janet’s tied her kirtle green,
A bit above her knee,
And she's away to Carterhaugh
As fast as go can she.

First she let the black pass by,
And then she let the brown,
But she ran to the milk-white steed,
And pulled the rider down.

"At first he changed all in her arms,
To an adder and a snake,
She held him fast, and feared him not,
He was her earthly mate.

Then he changed all in her arms
Into a lion wild
She held him fast, and feared him not,
The father of her child

And then he changed all in her arms [Bb]
Like iron in hot fire;
She held him fast, and feared him not,
He was her heart's desire.

And then he changed all in her arms
Into a naked man,
She cast her kirtle green o’er him,
To keep him from the rain.

Out then spoke the fairy queen,
And an angry queen was she,
"Woe betide her ill-far'd face,
An ill death may she die,

"O had I known at early morn
Tam Lin would from me gone,
I’d taken out his heart of flesh
Put in a heart of stone.”

credits

from False Orchard, released September 30, 2022

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Dorain Minneapolis, Minnesota

Dòrain is a folk quartet based in the Twin Cities, playing both Scottish and Irish traditional music. They perform songs in English, Scots, and Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig), frequently incorporating complex vocal harmonies, and mix in a hearty dose of energetic dance tunes. ... more

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