Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 345.
| 1 |
O waly, waly up the bank!
And waly, waly down the brae!
And waly by yon river side,
Where me and my lord was wont to gae! |
| 2 |
An I had wit what I wit now,
Before I came over the river Tay,
I would hae staid at Lord Torchard's yetts,
And I micht hae been his own lady gay. |
| 3 |
When I lay sick, and was very sick,
A friend of mine came me to see;
When our Blacklywood told it in my lord's ears
That he staid too long in chamber with me. |
| 4 |
Woe be to thee, thou Blacklywood!
I wish an ill death may thou die;
For thou's been the first and occasion last
That put strife between my good lord and me. |
| 5 |
When my father he heard of this,
His heart was like for to break in three;
He sent fourscore of his soldiers brave
For to take me home to mine own countree. |
| 6 |
In the morning when I arose,
My bonnie palace for to see,
I came unto my lord's room-door,
But he would not speak one word to me. |
| 7 |
'Come down the stair, my lord Jamie Douglas,
Come down and speak one word with me;
I'll set thee in a chair of gold,
And the never a penny it will cost thee.' |
| 8 |
'When cockle-shells grow silver bells,
And grass grows over the highest tree,
When frost and snaw turns fiery bombs,
Then will I come down and drink wine with thee.' |
| 9 |
O what need I care for Jamie Douglas
More than he needs to care for me?
For the Pord of Murray's my father dear,
And the Dike of York's daughter my mother be. |
| 10 |
Thou thocht that I was just like thyself,
And took every one that I did see;
But I can swear by the heavens above
That I never knew a man but thee. |
| 11 |
But fare thee well, my lord Jamie Douglas!
And fare you weel, my sma childer three!
God grant your father grace to be kind
Till I see you all in my own countrie. |
| 12 |
Quickly, quickly then rose he up,
And quickly, quickly came he down;
When I was in my coaches set,
He made his trumpets all to sound. |
| 13 |
As we came in by Edinburgh town,
My loving father came to meet me,
With trumpets sounding on every side;
But it was not comfort at all to me. |
| 14 |
'O hold your tongue, my daughter dear,
And of your weeping pray let abee;
A bill of divorcement I'll to him send,
And a better lord I will chose for thee.' |
| 15 |
'Hold your tongue, my father dear,
And of your flattery pray let abee;
I'll never lye in another man's arms,
Since my Jamie Douglas has forsaken me.' |
| 16 |
It's often said in a foreign land
That the hawk she flies far from her nest;
It's often said, and it's very true,
He's far from me this day that I luve best. |
