| 1 |
Young Johnstone and the young Colnel
Sat drinking at the wine:
'O gin ye wad marry my sister,
It's I wad marry thine.' |
| 2 |
'I wadna marry your sister
For a' your houses and land;
But I'll keep her for my leman,
When I come oer the strand. |
| 3 |
'I wadna marry your sister
For a' your gowd so gay;
But I'll keep her for my leman,
When I come by the way.' |
| 4 |
Young Johnstone had a little small sword,
Hung low down by his gair,
And he stabbed it through the young Colnel,
That word he neer spak mair. |
| 5 |
But he's awa to his sister's bower,
He's tirled at the pin:
'Where hae ye been, my dear brither,
Sae late a coming in?'
'I hae been at the school, sister,
Learning young clerks to sing.' |
| 6 |
'I've dreamed a dreary dream this night,
I wish it may be for good;
They were seeking you with hawks and hounds,
And the young Colnel was dead.' |
| 7 |
'Hawks and hounds they may seek me,
As I trow well they be;
For I have killed the young Colnel,
And thy own true-love was he.' |
| 8 |
'If ye hae killed the young Colnel,
O dule and wae is me!
But I wish ye may be hanged on a hie gallows,
And hae nae power to flee.' |
| 9 |
And he's awa to his true-love's bower,
He's tirled at the pin:
'Whar hae ye been, my dear Johnstone,
Sae late a coming in?'
'It's I hae been at the school,' he says,
'Learning young clerks to sing.' |
| 10 |
'I have dreamed a dreary dream,' she says,
'I wish it may be for good;
They were seeking you with hawks and hounds,
And the young Colnel was dead.' |
| 11 |
'Hawks and hounds they may seek me,
As I trow well they be;
For I hae killed the young Colnel,
And thy ae brother was he.' |
| 12 |
'If ye hae killed the young Colnel,
O dule and wae is me!
But I care the less for the young Colnel,
If thy ain body be free. |
| 13 |
'Come in, come in, my dear Johnstone,
Come in and take a sleep;
And I will go to my casement,
And carefully I will thee keep.' |
| 14 |
He had not weel been in her bower-door,
No not for half an hour,
When four and twenty belted knights
Came riding to the bower. |
| 15 |
'Well may you sit and see, lady,
Well may you sit and say;
Did you not see a bloody squire
Come riding by this way?' |
| 16 |
'What colour were his hawks?' she says,
'What colour were his hounds?
What colour was the gallant steed,
That bore him from the bounds?' |
| 17 |
'Bloody, bloody were his hawks,
And bloody were his hounds;
But milk-white was the gallant steed,
That bore him from the bounds. |
| 18 |
'Yes, bloody, bloody were his hawks,
And bloody were his hounds;
And milk-white was the gallant steed,
That bore him from the bounds. |
| 19 |
'Light down, light down now, gentlemen,
And take some bread and wine;
And the steed be swift that he rides on,
He's past the brig o Lyne.' |
| 20 |
'We thank you for your bread, fair lady,
We thank you for your wine;
But I wad gie thrice three thousand pound
That bloody knight was taen.' |
| 21 |
'Lie still, lie still, my dear Johnstone,
Lie still and take a sleep;
For thy enemies are past and gone,
And carefully I will thee keep.' |
| 22 |
But Young Johnstone had a little wee sword,
Hung low down by his gair,
And he stabbed it in fair Annet's breast,
A deep wound and a sair. |
| 23 |
'What aileth thee now, dear Johnstone?
What aileth thee at me?
Hast thou not got my father's gold,
Bot and my mither's fee?' |
| 24 |
'Now live, now live, my dear ladye,
Now live but half an hour,
And there's no a leech in a' Scotland
But shall be in thy bower.' |
| 25 |
'How can I live? how shall I live?
Young Johnstone, do not you see
The red, red drops o my bonny heart's blood
Rin trinkling down my knee? |
| 26 |
'But take thy harp into thy hand,
And harp out owre you plain,
And neer think mair on thy true-love
Than if she had never been.' |
| 27 |
He hadna weel been out o the stable,
And on his saddle set,
Till four and twenty broad arrows
Were thrilling in his heart. |
