Original Sin

 

“He hasna brunt, he hasna slain,

    He hasna robbèd  any;

 But he has done  another crime,

    For which he will pay dearly.”

-- “Georgie” (Child ballad #209)

 

The First Lord Judge saw Johnnie,

and touched him with his hand.

“I ween that I  have never seen

 a much more guilty man.”

 

The Second Judge  looked Johnnie on,

and pierced him with his eye.

“The man who bears such guilt as this,

 why,  he must surely die.”

 

The Third Lord Judge looked Johnnie down,

and trembled as he spoke.

“Yon carl must be cut loose from life,

cast off the mortal yoke.”

 

The Fourth Lord Judge said, “Johnnie,

there’s no man can forgive.

For such a crime as you have done,

you’ve no  more right to live.”

 

The Fifth Judge and the Sixth agreed

that Johnny’s day was done.

The Seventh Judge summed up for all:

“It’s time  to die, poor John.”

 

Then seven soldiers in a rush

took hold of trembling John.

They hanged him from a tall oak tree

while  Seven Lords looked on.

 

When life had flown, they cut him down,

and cast the corpse aside.

They dug a pit  full twelve feel deep,

rejoiced  that he had died.

 

They filled it in with dust and dirt,

and rocks both sharp and hard.

Then all  without a word  filed off,

and  silent  did depart.

 

[TBC, d.v.]