P. 164 ff. 'The Dowie Dens of Yarrow,' Kidson's Traditional
Tunes, etc., 1891, p. 21. From Mrs. Calvert, of Gilnockie,
Eskdale; obtained by her on the braes of Yarrow from her
grandmother, Tibbie Stuel. (Compare, especially,
J-L.)
| 1 |
There lived a lady in the West,
I neer could find her marrow;
She was courted by nine gentlemen,
And a ploughboy-lad in Yarrow. |
| 2 |
These nine sat drinking at the wine,
Sat drinking wine in Yarrow',
They made a vow among themselves
To fight for her in Yarrow. |
| 3 |
She washed his face, she kaimed his hair,
As oft she'd done before, O,
She made him like a knight sae bright,
To fight for her in Yarrow. |
| 4 |
As he walked up yon high, high hill,
And down by the holmes of Yarrow,
There he saw nine armed men,
Come to fight with him in Yarrow. |
| 5 |
'There's nine of you, there's one of me,
It's an unequal marrow;
But I'll fight you all one by one,
On the dowie dens of Yarrow.' |
| 6 |
Three he slew, and three they flew,
And three he wounded sorely,
Till her brother John he came in beyond,
And pierced his heart most foully. |
| 7 |
'Go home, go home, thou false young man,
And tell thy sister Sarah
That her true-love John lies dead and gone
On the dowie dens of Yarrow.' |
| 8 |
'O father dear, I dreamed a dream,
I'm afraid it will bring sorrow;
I dreamed I was pulling the heather-bell
In the dowie dens of Yarrow.' |
| 9 |
'O daughter dear, I read your dream,
I doubt it will prove sorrow;
For your true-love John lies dead and gone
On the dowie dens of Yarrow.' |
| 10 |
As she walked up yon high, high hill,
And down by the holmes of Yarrow,
There she saw her true-love John,
Lying pale and dead on Yarrow. |
| 11 |
Her hair it being three quarters long
The colour it was yellow
She wrapped it round his middle sma,
And carried him hame to Yarrow. |
| 12 |
'O father dear, you've seven sons,
You may wed them a' tomorrow,
But a fairer flower I never saw
Than the lad I loved in Yarrow.' |
| 13 |
The fair maid being great with child,
It filled her heart with sorrow;
She died within her lover's arms,
Between that day and morrow. |
Macmath Manuscript p. 91. Inserted in a copy of The Scottish
Ballads ... by Robert Chambers, 1829, p. 145, latterly belonging
to Rev. Dr. James C. Burns, Free Church, Kirkliston.
| 1 |
There were three lords drinking at the wine
In the Leader Haughs of Yarrow:
'Shall we go play at cards and dice,
As we have done before, O?
Or shall we go play at the single sword,
In the Leader Haughs of Yarrow?' |
| |
* * * |
| 2 |
Three he wounded, and five he slew,
As he had [done] before, O,
But an English lord lap from a bush,
And he proved all the sorrow;
He had a spear three quarters long,
And he thrust his body thorogh. |
| |
* * * |
| 3 |
'I dreamed ....
I wis it prove nae sorrow!
I dreamed I was puing the apples green
In the dowie howms o Yarrow.' |
| 4 |
'O sister, sister, I'll read your dream,
And I'll read it in sorrow;
Ye may gae bring hame your ain true-love,
For he's sleepin sound in Yarrow.' |
| 5 |
She sought him east, she sought him west,
She sought him all the forest thorogh;
She found him asleep at the middle yett,
In the dowie howms o Yarrow. |
| 6 |
Her hair it was three quarters lang,
And the colour of it was yellow;
She's bound it round his middle waist,
And borne him hame from Yarrow. |
