Ed de Moel

Child Ballads - Lyrics

Child 114
Johnie Cock
Version I

Motherwell's Minstrelsy, p. 23.

Narrative

1   Johnie rose up in a May morning,
Called for water to wash his hands, hands
And he is awa to Braidisbanks,
To ding the dun deer down. down
To ding the dun deer down
2   Johnie lookit east, and Johnie lookit west,
And it's lang before the sun,
And there he did spy the dun deer lie,
Beneath a bush of brume.
3   Johnie shot, and the dun deer lap,
And he's woundit her in the side;
Out then spake his sister's son,
'And the neist will lay her pride.'
* * * * *
4   They've eaten sae meikle o the gude venison,
And they've drunken sae muckle o the blude,
That they've fallen into as sound a sleep
As gif that they were dead.
* * * * *
5   'It's doun, and it's doun, and it's doun, doun,
And it's doun amang the scrogs,
And there ye'll espy twa bonnie boys lie,
Asleep amang their dogs.'
* * * * *
6   They waukened Johnie out o his sleep,
And he's drawn to him his coat:
'My fingers five, save me alive,
And a stout heart fail me not!'
* * * * *

This page most recently updated on 16-Mar-2011, 05:40:43.
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