Willie's Lady (Child 6) - Anaïs Mitchell, Jefferson Hamer

King Willie he sailed over the raging foam

He’s wooed a wife and he’s brought her home

He’s brought her home all against his mother’s will

His mother wrought her a wicked spell

And a wicked spell she’s laid on her

She’d be with child for long and many’s the year

But the child she would never bear

And in her bower she lies in pain

King Willie by her bedside he does stand

As down his cheeks salten tears do run

King Willie back to his mother he did run

And he’s gone there as a begging son

Says, «My true love has this fine noble steed

The likes of which you have never seen»

«And at every part of this horse’s mane

There’s hanging fifty silver bells and ten

Hanging fifty bells and ten»

«This goodly gift shall be your own

If back to my own true love you’ll turn again

So she might bear her baby son»

«Oh, of the child she’ll never lighter be

And of my curse she will ne’er be free

But she will die and she will turn to clay

And you will wed with another maid»

And sighing says this weary man

As back to his own true love he’s gone again

«I wish my life was at an end»

King Willie back to his mother he did run

And he’s gone there as a begging son

Says, «My true love has this fine golden girdle

Set with jewels all about the middle»

«And at every part of this girdle’s hem

There’s hanging fifty silver bells and ten

Hanging fifty bells and ten»

«This goodly gift shall be your own

If back to my own true love you’ll turn again

So she might bear her baby son»

«Oh, of the child she’ll never lighter be

And of my curse she will ne’er be free

But she will die and she will turn to clay

And you will wed with another maid»

And sighing says this weary man

As back to his own true love he’s gone again

«I wish my life was at an end»

Then up and spoke his noble queen

And she has told King Willie of a plan

How she might bear her baby son

Says, «You must go get you down to the marketplace

And you must buy a ball of wax

And you must shape it as a babe that is to nurse

And you must make two eyes of glass»

«Ask your mother to the christening day

And you must stand there close as you can be

So you might hear what she does say»

King Willie he’s gone down to the marketplace

And he has bought a ball of wax

And he has shaped it as a babe that is to nurse

And he has made two eyes of glass

He asked his mother to the christening day

And he has stood there close as he could be

So he might hear what she did say

And how she spat and how she swore

She spied the babe where no babe could be before

She spied the babe where none could be before

Says, «Who was it who undid the nine witch knots

Braided in amongst this lady’s locks?

And who was it who the leather shoe untied

From the left foot of his wedded bride?»

«And who was it split the silken thread

The spider stretched all beneath this lady’s bed?

The spider stretched all beneath her bed»

And it was Willie who undid the nine witch knots

Braided in amongst his lady’s locks

And it was Willie who the leather shoe untied

From the left foot of his wedded bride

And it was Willie split the silken thread

The spider stretched all beneath his lady’s bed

The spider stretched all beneath her bed

And she has born him a baby son

And great are the blessings that be them upon

And great are the blessings them upon