Buchan's Manuscripts, I, 82; Dixon, Scottish Traditional
Versions of Ancient Ballads, p. 77, Percy Society, vol. xvii.
| 1 |
Johnnie raise up in a May morning,
Calld for water to wash his hands,
And he's commant his bluidy dogs
To be loosd frae their iron bands. bands
To be loosd frae their iron bands |
| 2 |
'Win up, win up, my bluidy dogs,
Win up, and be unbound,
And we will on to Bride's Braidmuir,
And ding the dun deer down.' |
| 3 |
When his mother got word o that,
Then she took bed and lay;
Says, Johnnie, my son, for my blessing,
Ye'll stay at hame this day. |
| 4 |
There's baken bread and brown ale
Shall be at your command;
Ye'll win your mither's blythe blessing,
To the Bride's Braidmuir nae gang. |
| 5 |
Mony are my friends, mither,
Though thousands were my foe;
Betide me life, betide me death,
To the Bride's Braidmuir I'll go. |
| 6 |
The sark that was on Johnnie's back
Was o the cambric fine;
The belt that was around his middle
Wi pearlins it did shine. |
| 7 |
The coat that was upon his back
Was o the linsey brown;
And he's awa to the Bride's Braidmuir,
To ding the dun deer down. |
| 8 |
Johnnie lookd east, Johnnie lookd west,
And turnd him round and round,
And there he saw the king's dun deer,
Was cowing the bush o brune. |
| 9 |
Johnnie shot, and the dun deer lap,
He wounded her in the side;
Between him and yon burnie-bank,
Johnnie he laid her pride. |
| 10 |
He ate sae muckle o the venison,
He drank sae muckle bleed,
Till he lay down between his hounds,
And slept as he'd been dead. |
| 11 |
But by there came a stane-auld man,
An ill death mat he dee!
For he is on to the Seven Foresters,
As fast as gang could he. |
| 12 |
'What news, what news, ye stane-auld man?
What news hae ye brought you wi?'
'Nae news, nae news, ye seven foresters,
But what your eyes will see. |
| 13 |
'As I gaed i yon rough thick hedge,
Amang yon bramly scroggs,
The fairest youth that eer I saw
Lay sleeping between his dogs. |
| 14 |
'The sark that was upon his back
Was o the cambric fine;
The belt that was around his middle
Wi pearlins it did shine.' |
| 15 |
Then out it speaks the first forester:
Whether this be true or no,
O if it's Johnnie o Cocklesmuir,
Nae forder need we go. |
| 16 |
Out it spake the second forester,
A fierce fellow was he:
Betide me life, betide me death,
This youth we'll go and see. |
| 17 |
As they gaed in yon rough thick hedge,
And down yon forest gay,
They came to that very same place
Where John o Cockis he lay. |
| 18 |
The first an shot they shot at him,
They wounded him in the thigh;
Out spake the first forester's son:
By the next shot he maun die. |
| 19 |
'O stand ye true, my trusty bow,
And stout steel never fail!
Avenge me now on all my foes,
Who have my life i bail.' |
| 20 |
Then Johnnie killd six foresters,
And wounded the seventh sair;
Then drew a stroke at the stane-auld man,
That words he neer spake mair. |
| 21 |
His mother's parrot in window sat,
She whistled and she sang,
And aye the owerturn o the note,
'Young Johnnie's biding lang.' |
| 22 |
When this reached the king's own ears,
It grievd him wondrous sair;
Says, I'd rather they'd hurt my subjects all
Than Johnnie o Cocklesmuir. |
| 23 |
'But where are all my wall-wight men,
That I pay meat and fee,
Will gang the morn to Johnnie's castle,
See how the cause may be.' |
| 24 |
Then he's calld Johnnie up to court,
Treated him handsomelie,
And now to hunt in the Bride's Braidmuir,
For life has license free. |
