Oh Waly, Waly
Child listed this as a "Jamie Douglas" variant (Child 204). It's most likely its own song, though it shares verses with "Jamie Douglas", "The Water is Wide" and "Must I Go Bound", and "There is a Ship" among others.  I keep finding its influence in the songs of many countries like Ireland's "Carrickfergus" and America's "Fair and Tender Ladies" - but this version that is mostly in the Old Scots is my favorite.  "Waly" is a lamenting or mourning word...  I have tried to put my best guesses as far as pronounciation (in italics) and meaning (in quotes) for the words that may not be familiar.  Any corrections or elaborations would be welcome...

C                F                  C
O, waly wa - ly up the bank
                 Am  F                      G  G7
And waly, wa  -  ly down the brae,
                 Em Am                    C      F
And waly  wa   -    ly yon burnside
                       C   G                         C
Where I and my       love wont to gae!
C                            F               C
I leaned my back     unto an aik                      aik= ahk   "oak"
                       Am  F               G  G7
And thocht it was      a trusty tree
                     Em Am                    C    F
But first it bow'd       and then it brak               brak = brahk      "broke"
                       C   G                     C
Sae my true love     did lichtlie me.                 lichtlie = lickt-lee     "lie to"

C                    F                     C
O waly, waly     but love be bonnie
                 Am  F                   G  G7
A little time         while it is new,
                        Em Am                    C    F
But when it's auld        it waxes cauld             auld   "old"    waxes = "grows"   cauld = "cold"
                         C  G                          C
And fades away       like morning dew.
C                                 F                    C
O, wherefore should     I busk my heid,            busk my heid =  haid   I think it means dress, or cover my head
                            Am  F                     G  G7
Or wherefore should     I kame my hair?          kame  =  "comb"
                     Em Am                   C    F
For my true-love     has me forsook,
                            C  G                   C
And says he'll never    love me mair.            mair = "more"

C                            F                       C
Now Arthur's seat    shall be my bed,                I don't know where Arthur's Seat is, but I am still looking....
                               Am  F                         G  G7
The sheets shall ne'er    be pressed by me,
                     Em Am                      C    F
St. Anton's Well        shall be my drink,             Same for St. Anton's Well - Hmmm sounds like a story here...
                            C  G                        C
Since my true-love     has forsaken me.
C                         F                       C
Martinmas wind,    when wilt thou blaw,           Martinmas = Feast of St. Martin, evidently in the fall   blaw = "blow"
                             Am  F                        G  G7
And shake the green    leaves aff the tree?       aff = "off"
                  Em Am                             C    F
O gentle death      when wilt thou come?
                   C  G                 C
For of my life      I am wearie.

C                          F                     C
'Tis not the frost    that freezes fell,                   fell = "bad or dangerous"
                         Am  F                  G  G7
Nor blawing snaw's    inclemencie;                  blawing = "blowing"   snaw's = "snow's"
                       Em Am                          C   F
'Tis not sic cauld        that mak's me cry,         sic = "so"    mak's = mahk's  "makes"   cry = cree
                           C     G                             C
But my love's heart's    grown cauld to me.
C                             F                       C
When we came in   by Glasgow toun,              toun =   toon  "town"
                     Am    F                  G  G7
We were a come - ly sicht to see;                       sicht = sickt      "sight"
                        Em Am                           C    F
My love was clad         in the black velvet,
                C  G               C
And I mysel'   in cramasie.                                cramasie was apparently a rich fabric

C                      F                C
But had I wist    before I kiss't                           wist = "thought"
                         Am    F                  G  G7
That love had been      sae ill to win,               sae = say   "so"
                        Em Am                        C    F
I'd lock'd my heart       in a case of gold,
                      C  G                 C
And pinn'd it wi'     a silver pin.
C                   F                                 C
Oh, oh, if my    young babe were born,
                 Am    F                     G  G7
And set upon      the nourris' knee,                  nourris = nurse's, i.e. wet nurse or governess
              Em Am                               C    F
And I mysel'       were dead and gone,
                                       C     G               C
And the green grass grow  -  in' ower me!
 

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