Ed de Moel

Child Ballads - Lyrics

Child 114
Johnie Cock
Version G

Harris Manuscript, fol. 25: from Mrs. Harris's recitation.

Narrative

1   Johnnie Brad, on a May mornin,
Called for water to wash his hands,
An there he spied his twa blude-hounds,
Waur bound in iron bands. bands
Waur bound in iron bands
2   Johnnie's taen his gude bent bow,
Bot an his arrows kene,
An strippit himsel o the scarlet red,
An put on the licht Lincoln green.
3   Up it spak Johnnie's mither,
An' a wae, wae woman was she:
I beg you bide at hame, Johnnie,
I pray be ruled by me.
4   Baken bread ye sall nae lack,
An wine you sall lack nane;
Oh Johnnie, for my benison,
I beg you bide at hame!
5   He has made a solemn aith,
Atween the sun and the mune,
That he wald gae to the gude green wood,
The dun deer to ding doon.
6   He luiket east, he luiket wast,
An in below the sun,
An there he spied the dun deer,
Aneath a bush o brume.
7   The firsten shot that Johnnie shot,
He wounded her in the side;
The nexten shot that Johnnie shot,
I wat he laid her pride.
8   He's eaten o the venison,
An drunken o the blude,
Until he fell as sound asleep
As though he had been dead.
9   Bye there cam a silly auld man,
And a silly auld man was he,
An he's on to the Seven Foresters,
As fast as he can flee.
10   'As I cam in by yonder haugh,
An in among the scroggs,
The bonniest boy that ere I saw
Lay sleepin atween his dogs.'
* * * * *
11   The firsten shot that Johnnie shot,
He shot them a' but ane,
An he flang him owre a milk-white steed,
Bade him bear tidings hame.

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