Campbell Manuscript, I, 8; "communicated by Janet Ormstone,
Innerleithen, who sung it to a beautiful old air."
| 1 |
There lived a lady in the south,
She thought she had not her marrow;
And she was courted by nine gentlemen,
In the dowie dens in Yarrow. |
| 2 |
All their offers they proved in vain,
She thought that they were not her marrow;
She has forsaken a' the nine,
Loved a servant-lad on Galla. |
| 3 |
Up bespoke her father dear,
Who bred them a' this sorrow;
You must go far, far to fight the nine,
In the dowie den in Yarrow,' |
| 4 |
She washd his face, she combd his hair,
Her heart being full of sorrow,
With a rusted rapier down by his side,
To fight his foes in Yarrow. |
| 5 |
He's ridden east, he's ridden west,
He's ridden into Yarrow,
And there he espied all the nine,
Watering their steeds in Yarrow. |
| 6 |
'Ye'r welcome, welcome, young man,' they said,
'But I think ye are not our marrow;'
'But I'll fight ye all out, one by one,
In the dowie dens o Yarrow.' |
| 7 |
Four he has wounded, five he has slain,
He left then a' sound in Yarrow;
He turned him round with rejoyfull looks,
Says, I wone the lady of Thoro. |
| 8 |
Up then spoke her father dear,
Who bred them a' this sorrow;
He's taen out a broadsword and run him through,
In the dowie dens o Yarrow. |
| 9 |
'I dreamed a dream last night,' she says,
'I fear it is for sorrow;
I dreand I was pulling the heather green
With my true love in Yarrow.' |
| 10 |
'I'll read your dream now, daughter dear,
I fear it is for sorrow;
You will find your true-love lying sound,
In a heather bush in Yarrow.' |
| 11 |
She's ridden east, she's ridden west,
She's ridden into Yarrow;
There she found her true lover sound,
In a heather bush in Yarrow. |
| 12 |
His hair it was five quarters lang,
It was baith lang and yellow;
She's tied it to her horse's mane,
She's trailed him home from Yarrow. |
| 13 |
'O woe be to you, father dear!
You've bred me all this sorrow;'
So she died between her father's arms,
In the dowie dens o Yarrow. |
