Ed de Moel

Child Ballads - Lyrics

Child 204
Jamie Douglas
Version G

Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 345.

Narrative

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.

This page most recently updated on 06-Mar-2011, 16:43:26.
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