True Thomas lay on Huntlie bank
A ferlie he spied wi' his ee
And there he saw a ladye bright
Come riding down by the Eildon tree
Her dress was of the grass green silk
Her mantle o' the velvet fine
At ilka tett of her horses mane
Hung fifty silver bells and nine
True Thomas he pull'd off his cap
And louted low down on his knee
"All hail thou mighty queen of heaven
For thy peer on earth I never did see"
"O no, o no, Thomas" she said
"That name does not belong to me
I am but the queen of fair Elfland
That am hither come to visit thee
Harp and carp, Thomas," she said
"Harp and carp along wi' me
And if ye dare to kiss my lips
Sure of your bodie I will be"
"Betide me weal, betide me woe
That weird shall never daunton me"
Syne he has kissed her rosy lips
All underneath the Eildon tree.
"Now ye maun go wi' me she said
"True Thomas, ye maun go wi' me;
And ye maun serve me seven years
Thro' weal or woe as may chance to be"
She mounted on her milk white steed
She's ta'en true Thomas up behind
And aye, whene'er her bridle rung
The steed flew swifter than the wind
O they rade on, and farther on
The steed gaed swifter than the wind
Until they reached a desert wide
And living land was left behind
"Light down, light down, now, true Thomas
And lean your head upon my knee
Abide and rest a little space
And I will shew you ferlies three
O see ye not yon narrow road
So thick beset with thorns and briers
That is the path of righteousness
Though after it but few enquires
And see ye not that braid braid road
That lies across the lily leven
That is the path of wickedness
Though some call it the road to heaven
And see ye not that bonny road
That winds about the fernie brae
That is the road to fair Elfland
Where thou and I this night maun gae
But, Thomas, ye maun hold your tongue
Whatever ye may hear or see
For, if you speak in Elfin land
Ye'll ne'er get back to your ain countrie"
O they rade on, and farther on,
They waded through rivers aboon the knee
And they saw neither sun nor moon
But they heard the roaring of the sea
It was mirk mirk night there was nae stern light
And they waded through red blude to the knee
For a' the blude that's shed on earth
Rins through the springs o' that counterie
Syne they cam on to a garden green
And she pu'd an apple frae a tree
"Take this for thy wages, true Thomas
It'll give thee the tongue that can never lie"
"My tongue is mine ain, true Thomas said
A gudely gift ye wad gie to me
I neither dought to buy nor sell
At fair or tryst where I may be
I dought neither speak to prince nor peer
Nor ask of grace from fair ladye"
"Now hold thy peace!" the lady said
"For as I say, so must it be"
He has gotten a coat of the even cloth
And a pair of shoes of velvet green
And 'till seven years were gone and past
True Thomas on earth was never seen