Robert and Andrew Foulis, Glasgow, 1755; "as preserved
in the memory of a lady."
| 1 |
It fell about the Martinmas,
When the wind blew schrile and cauld,
Said Edom o Gordon to his men,
We maun draw to a hald. |
| 2 |
'And what an a hald sall we draw to,
My merry men and me?
We will gae to the house of the Rhodes,
To see that fair lady.' |
| 3 |
She had nae sooner busket her sell,
Nor putten on her gown,
Till Edom o Gordon and his men
Were round about the town. |
| 4 |
They had nae sooner sitten down,
Nor sooner said the grace,
Till Edom o Gordon and his men
Were closed about the place. |
| 5 |
The lady ran up to her tower-head,
As fast as she could drie,
To see if by her fair speeches
She could with him agree. |
| 6 |
As soon he saw the lady fair,
And hir yates all locked fast,
He fell into a rage of wrath,
And his heart was aghast. |
| 7 |
'Cum down to me, ye lady fair,
Cum down to me; let's see;
This night ye's ly by my ain side,
The morn my bride sall be.' |
| 8 |
'I winnae cum down, ye fals Gordon,
I winnae cum down to thee;
I winnae forsake my ane dear lord,
That is sae far frae me.' |
| 9 |
'Gi up your house, ye fair lady,
Gi up your house to me,
Or I will burn yoursel therein,
Bot and your babies three.' |
| 10 |
'I winnae gie up, you fals Gordon,
To nae sik traitor as thee,
Tho you should burn mysel therein,
Bot and my babies three.' |
| 11 |
'Set fire to the house,' quoth fals Gordon,
'Sin better may nae bee;
And I will burn hersel therein,
Bot and her babies three.' |
| 12 |
'And ein wae worth ye, Jock my man!
I paid ye weil your fee;
Why pow ye out my ground-wa-stane,
Lets in the reek to me? |
| 13 |
'And ein wae worth ye, Jock my man!
For I paid you weil your hire;
Why pow ye out my ground-wa-stane,
To me lets in the fire?' |
| 14 |
'Ye paid me weil my hire, lady,
Ye paid me weil my fee,
But now I'm Edom of Gordon's man,
Maun either do or die.' |
| 15 |
O then bespake her youngest son,
Sat on the nurses knee,
'Dear mother, gie owre your house,' he says,
'For the reek it worries me.' |
| 16 |
'I winnae gie up my house, my dear,
To nae sik traitor as he;
Cum weil, cum wae, my jewels fair,
Ye maun tak share wi me.' |
| 17 |
O then bespake her dochter dear,
She was baith jimp and sma;
'O row me in a pair o shiets,
And tow me owre the wa.' |
| 18 |
They rowd her in a pair of shiets,
And towd her owre the wa,
But on the point of Edom's speir
She gat a deadly fa. |
| 19 |
O bonny, bonny was hir mouth,
And chirry were her cheiks,
And clear, clear was hir yellow hair,
Whereon the reid bluid dreips! |
| 20 |
Then wi his speir he turnd hir owr;
O gin hir face was wan!
He said, You are the first that eer
I wist alive again. |
| 21 |
He turned hir owr and owr again;
O gin hir skin was whyte!
He said, I might ha spard thy life
To been some mans delyte. |
| 22 |
'Busk and boon, my merry men all,
For ill dooms I do guess;
I cannae luik in that boony face,
As it lyes on the grass.' |
| 23 |
'Them luiks to freits, my master deir,
Then freits will follow them;
Let it neir be said brave Edom o Gordon
Was daunted with a dame.' |
| 24 |
O then he spied hir ain deir lord,
As he came owr the lee;
He saw his castle in a fire,
As far as he could see. |
| 25 |
'Put on, put on, my mighty men,
As fast as ye can drie!
For he that's hindmost of my men
Sall neir get guid o me.' |
| 26 |
And some they raid, and some they ran,
Fu fast out-owr the plain,
But lang, lang eer he coud get up
They were a' deid and slain. |
| 27 |
But mony were the mudie men
Lay gasping on the grien;
For o fifty men that Edom brought out
There were but five ged heme. |
| 28 |
And mony were the mudie men
Lay gasping on the grien,
And mony were the fair ladys
Lay lemanless at heme. |
| 29 |
And round and round the waes he went,
Their ashes for to view;
At last into the flames he flew,
And bad the world adieu. |
