P. 429. The fragment printed by Scott was given him by the
Ettrick Shepherd. It was printed with no important change except
in the last stanza, all of which is the editor's but the second
line. The two lines of stanza 7 are scored through in the
Manuscript.
"Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy," No 133 b,
Abbotsford; in the handwriting of James Hogg.
| 1 |
My love he built me a bonny bowr,
An cled it a' wi lily-flowr;
A brawer bowr ye neer did see
Than my true-love he built to me. |
| 2 |
There came a man by middle day,
He spy'd his sport an went away,
An brought the king that very night,
Who brak my bowr, an slew my knight. |
| 3 |
He slew my knight, to me sae dear;
He slew my knight, an poind his gear;
My servants all for life did flee,
An left me in extremity. |
| 4 |
I sewd his sheet, making my moan;
I watchd the corpse, mysel alone;
I'watchd his body night and day;
No living creature came that way. |
| 5 |
I took the corpse then on my back,
And whiles I gaed, and whiles I sat;
I digd a grave, and laid him in,
And hapd him wi the sod sae green. |
| 6 |
But thinkna ye my heart was sair
"When I laid the mool on his yellow hair?
O thinkna ye my heart was wae
When I turnd about, away to gae? |
| 7 |
Nae langer there I could remain
Since that my lovely knight was slain;
. . .
. . . |
