Christie, Traditional Ballad Airs, I, 110. From the singing
of an old woman in Buckie, Enzie, Banffshire.
| 1 |
A knight had two sons o sma fame,
Hey nien nanny
Isaac-a-Bell and Hugh the Graeme.
And the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 2 |
And to the youngest he did say,
Hey nien nanny
'What occupation will you hae?
When the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 3 |
'Will you gae fee to pick a mill?
Hey nien nanny
Or will you keep hogs on yon hill?'
While the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 4 |
'I winna fee to pick a mill,
Hey nien nanny
Nor will I keep hogs on yon hill.
While the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 5 |
'But it is said, as I do hear,
Hey nien nanny
That war will last for seven year,
And the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 6 |
'With a giant and a boar
Hey nien nanny
That range into the wood o Tore.
And the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 7 |
'You'll horse and armour to me provide,
Hey nien nanny
That through Tore wood I may safely ride.'
When the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 8 |
The knicht did horse and armour provide,
Hey nien nanny
That through Tore wood Graeme micht safely ride.
When the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 9 |
Then he rode through the wood o Tore,
Hey nien nanny
And up it started the grisly boar.
When the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 10 |
The firsten bout that he did ride,
Hey nien nanny
The boar he wounded in the left side.
When the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 11 |
The nexten bout at the boar he gaed,
Hey nien nanny
He from the boar took aff his head.
And the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 12 |
As he rode back through the wood o Tore,
Hey nien nanny
Up started the giant him before.
And the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 13 |
'O cam you through the wood o Tore,
Hey nien nanny
Or did you see my good wild boar?'
And the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 14 |
'I cam now through the wood o Tore,
Hey nien nanny
But woe be to your grisly boar.
And the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 15 |
'The firsten bout that I did ride,
Hey nien nanny
I wounded your wild boar in the side.
And the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 16 |
'The nexten bout at him I gaed,
Hey nien nanny
From your wild boar I took aff his head.'
And the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 17 |
'Gin you have cut aff the head o my boar,
Hey nien nanny
It's your head shall be taen therfore.
And the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 18 |
'I'll gie you thirty days and three,
Hey nien nanny
To heal your wounds, then come to me.'
While the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 19 |
'It's after thirty days and three,
Hey nien nanny
When my wounds heal, I'll come to thee.'
When the norlan flowers spring bonny |
| 20 |
So Graeme is back to the wood o Tore,
Hey nien nanny
And he's killd the giant, as he killd the boar.
And the norlan flowers spring bonny |
