Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
A Pretty Fair Maid / A Lady in Her Father's Garden / The Broken Token (Roud No. 264) - Sung by renowned storyteller, ballad singer and piper Stanley Robertson (1940-2009) of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland in an old cottage near the village of Lumphanan, Aberdeenshire. It was the longtime home of his aunt Margaret (Maggie) Stewart whom Stanley regarded as his adoptive grandmother. Stanley was born into a Traveller family in Aberdeen and he was the nephew of famous Scottish traditional singer Jeannie Robertson. Filmed and recorded by David Kotyk as part of the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project in August 1986.
The original movie can be watched here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AOL64MEVSBAW2A85
I used my knowledge on video editing to share the films on Youtube in the highest possible quality, I used manual video upscaling (no AI was used!) for this, to further document variants of traditional ballads and songs which has been my hobby for many years. I claim no ownership of the video, all the rights belong with the University of Wisconsin which houses the John D. Niles Collection.
Note by Kevin W.:
I was delighted to discover these videos of Scotland's great tradition bearers in the John D. Niles Collection. The often poorly treated Scottish Travellers honor the memories of their ancestors through songs, music and storytelling. They are proud of their culture and kept old traditions alive for hundreds of years. Many of our most gifted traditional singers and storytellers are Travellers.
Scottish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority in Scotland who live or traditionally lived a nomadic lifestyle and for centuries were unfairly shunned by the settled population. For that reason the singing culture of the Travelling people had not been well documented before the 20th century when non-Travellers with an interest in folklore visited and befriended Travellers and started recording their songs, music and stories.
Stanley sang this song, The Broken Token, spontaneously as he felt it was fitting for a return home, to the place of his childhood.
Song transcription:
A fair pretty maid in her garden walking
When a brisk young sailor came a-riding by.
He stepped up to her because he knew her.
Saying “Fair [maid, would you fancy I?”] *
“Tis seven long years since I loved a sailor,
Tis seven long years since he went away.
Perhaps he’s drownded, perhaps he’s married,
Perhaps he sails on the ocean blue.
For if he’s married, I wish him pleasure,
And if he’s drownded, I wish him rest.
But if he sails on yon sea, my sailor
He’ll come back home for tae marry me.”
“Oh do ye see, love, yon high high castle
All decorated wi lilies white?
I’ll gi'e you gold, love, I’ll gi'e you silver
If you will say you’ll be mine tonight.”
“Oh what care I for yer high high castle?
Or what care I for yer lilies white?
Or what care I for yer gold and silver
If my true love should come home tonight?
He put his fingers intae his pocket;
His fingers were both sharp an small.
He took a ring out it was between them
At seeing this for then she fell.
He picked her up in his loving arms,
He gied tae her a true love kiss,
Saying, “I'm your Johnnie, I am your sailor,
And I’ve come home for tae marry you.”
* The end of the line is missing in the video, but that's how it usually ends.
A Pretty Fair Maid / A Lady in Her Father's Garden / The Broken Token (Roud No. 264) - Sung by renowned storyteller, ballad singer and piper Stanley Robertson (1940-2009) of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland in an old cottage near the village of Lumphanan, Aberdeenshire. It was the longtime home of his aunt Margaret (Maggie) Stewart whom Stanley regarded as his adoptive grandmother. Stanley was born into a Traveller family in Aberdeen and he was the nephew of famous Scottish traditional singer Jeannie Robertson. Filmed and recorded by David Kotyk as part of the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project in August 1986.
The original movie can be watched here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AOL64MEVSBAW2A85
I used my knowledge on video editing to share the films on Youtube in the highest possible quality, I used manual video upscaling (no AI was used!) for this, to further document variants of traditional ballads and songs which has been my hobby for many years. I claim no ownership of the video, all the rights belong with the University of Wisconsin which houses the John D. Niles Collection.
Note by Kevin W.:
I was delighted to discover these videos of Scotland's great tradition bearers in the John D. Niles Collection. The often poorly treated Scottish Travellers honor the memories of their ancestors through songs, music and storytelling. They are proud of their culture and kept old traditions alive for hundreds of years. Many of our most gifted traditional singers and storytellers are Travellers.
Scottish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority in Scotland who live or traditionally lived a nomadic lifestyle and for centuries were unfairly shunned by the settled population. For that reason the singing culture of the Travelling people had not been well documented before the 20th century when non-Travellers with an interest in folklore visited and befriended Travellers and started recording their songs, music and stories.
Stanley sang this song, The Broken Token, spontaneously as he felt it was fitting for a return home, to the place of his childhood.
Song transcription:
A fair pretty maid in her garden walking
When a brisk young sailor came a-riding by.
He stepped up to her because he knew her.
Saying “Fair [maid, would you fancy I?”] *
“Tis seven long years since I loved a sailor,
Tis seven long years since he went away.
Perhaps he’s drownded, perhaps he’s married,
Perhaps he sails on the ocean blue.
For if he’s married, I wish him pleasure,
And if he’s drownded, I wish him rest.
But if he sails on yon sea, my sailor
He’ll come back home for tae marry me.”
“Oh do ye see, love, yon high high castle
All decorated wi lilies white?
I’ll gi'e you gold, love, I’ll gi'e you silver
If you will say you’ll be mine tonight.”
“Oh what care I for yer high high castle?
Or what care I for yer lilies white?
Or what care I for yer gold and silver
If my true love should come home tonight?
He put his fingers intae his pocket;
His fingers were both sharp an small.
He took a ring out it was between them
At seeing this for then she fell.
He picked her up in his loving arms,
He gied tae her a true love kiss,
Saying, “I'm your Johnnie, I am your sailor,
And I’ve come home for tae marry you.”
* The end of the line is missing in the video, but that's how it usually ends.
