Communicated to Scott by Mrs. Christiana Greenwood,
London, May 27, 1806 (Letters, I, No 189); presumably
learned by her at Longnewton, near Jedbargh. "Scotch
Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy," No 84, Abbotsford.
| 1 |
The cock did craw, and the day did daw,
And the moon shone fair and clearly;
Sir James gade out o his castle-yett,
To meet fair Anne, his dearie. |
| 2 |
'O come down, come down, my true-love Anne,
And speak but ae word to me!
But ae kiss o your bonny mouth
Wad yield much comfort to me.' |
| 3 |
'O how can I come down?' she says,
'Or how can I win to thee?
When there is nane that I can trust
Wad safe convey me to thee. |
| 4 |
'But gang doun, gang doun, to yon hostess' house,
And there take on yere lawing,
And, as I'm a woman kind and true,
I'll meet you at the dawing.' |
| 5 |
Then he gade thro the good green-wood,
And oer the moor sae eerie,
And lang he stayd, and sair he sighd,
But he never mair saw his dearie. |
| 6 |
And ay he sat, and lang he drank,
And ay he counted his lawing,
Till fifteen men did him surround,
To slay him or the dawing. |
| 7 |
'O she promisd ance to meet me this night,
But I find she deceived me;
She promisd ance to meet me this night,
And she's sent fifteen to slay me! |
| 8 |
'There are twa swords in my scabard,
They cost me gowd and money;
Take ye the best, and gie me the warst,
And man for man I'll try ye.' |
| 9 |
Then they fought on, and on they fought,
Till maist o them were fallen,
When her brother John cam him behind,
And slew him at the dawing. |
| 10 |
Then he's away to his sister Anne,
To the chamber where's she's lying:
'Come doun, come doun, my sister Anne,
And take up your true-love Jamie! |
| 11 |
'Come doun, come doun now, sister Anne!
For he's sleeping in yon logie;
Sound, sound he sleeps, nae mair to wake,
And nae mair need ye be vogie.' |
| 12 |
'I dreamd a drearie dream yestreen,
Gin it be true, it will prove my sorrow;
I dreamd my luive had lost his life,
Within the yetts o Gowrie. |
| 13 |
'O wae betide ye, lassies o Gowrie
For ye hae sleepit soundly;
Gin ye had keepit your yetts shut,
Ye might hae sav'd the life o my Jamie. |
| 14 |
'Yestreen my luive had a suit o claise
Were o the finest tartan;
But lang or ere the day did daw
They war a' red bluid to the garten. |
| 15 |
'Yestreen my luive had a suit o claise
Were o the apple reamin;
But lang or ere the day did daw
The red bluid had them streamin.' |
| 16 |
In yon fair ha, where the winds did blaw,
When the moon shone fair and clearly,
She's thrawn her green skirt oer her head,
And ay she cried out mercy. |
