The Braes o Yarrow
No: 214; variant: 214F
- LATE in the eenin, drinkin the wine,
Or early in the mornin,
The set a combat them between,
To fight it out i the dawnin.
- She's kissd his lips, an she's caimd his hair,
As shee did ay afore, O,
She's belted him in his noble brown,
Afore he gaed to Yarrow.
- Then he's away oer yon high hill----
A wait he's gane wi sorrow----
An in a den he spied nine armd men,
On the dowie banks o Yarrow.
- 'If I see ye a', ye'r nine for ane,
But ane's [un]equal marrow;
Yet as lang 's I'm able wield my brand,
I'll fight an bear ye marrow.
- 'There are twa swords into my sheath,
The're ane an equal marrow;
Now wale the best, I'll take the warst,
An, man for man, I'll try ye.'
- He has slain a' the nine men,
A ane an equal marrow,
But up there startit a stuborn lord,
That gard him sleep on Yarrow.
- 'Gae hame, gae hame, my sister Anne,
An tell yer sister Sarah
That she may gang and seek her lord,
He's lyin sleepin on Yarrow.'
- 'I dreamd a dream now sin yestreen,
I thought it wad be sorrow;
I thought I was pouin the hether green
On the dowie banks o Yarrow.'
- Then she's away oer yon high hill----
I wat she's gane wi sorrow----
And in a den she's spy'd ten slain men,
On the dowie banks o Yarrow.
- 'My love was a' clad oer last night
Wi the finest o the tartan,
But now he's a' clad oer wi red,
An he's red bluid to the garten.'
- She's kissd his lips, she's caimd his hair,
As she had done before, O;
She drank the red bluid that frae him ran,
On the dowie banks o Yarrow.
- 'Tak hame your ousen, father, and yer kye,
For they've bred muckle sorrow;
I wiss that they had a' gaen mad
Afore they came to Yarrow.'
- 'O haud yer tongue, my daughter dear,
For this breeds ay but sorrow;
I'll wed you to a better lord
Than him you lost on Yarrow.'
- 'O haud yer tongue, my father dear,
For ye but breed mair sorrow;
A better rose will never spring
Than him I've lost on Yarrow.'
- This lady being big wi child,
An fu o lamentation,
She died within her father's arms,
Amang this stuborn nation.