The Braes o Yarrow
No: 214; variant: 214M
- O AY he sat, and ay he drank,
An ay he counted the laying,
An ay he drank to the lass'es health
Was to meet him in the dawning.
- Up he gaes on yon high, high hill,
An a wat he geas wi sorrow,
An in a den he spy'd nine well armd men,
On the dowie banks of Yarrow.
- 'Oh woe be to young women's wit!
For the've bred to me meikle sorrow;
She promisd for to meet me here,
An she's sent nine men to slay me.
- 'But there is two swords in my scabba[rd],
They cost me gold and money;
Tak ye the best, and I'll tak the wa[rst],
An come man for man, I'll not fly yo[u].'
- Ay he stood, an ay he fought,
Till it was near the dawning,
Then up an rose her brother James,
An has slain him in the dawning.
- 'O the last night I dreamd a dream,
God keep us a' frae sorrow!
I dreamd I was powing the heather green
In the dowie banks of Yarrow.'
- Up she gaes on yon high, high hill,
An a wat she gaes with sorrow,
An in a den she spy'd nine slain men,
In the dowie banks of Yarrow.
- 'O the last time I saw my love
He was a' clad oer in tartan;
But now he's a' clad oer in red,
An he's a' blood to the gartin.'
- She kist his mouth, an she's combd his hair,
As she had done before, O,
She drank the blood that from him ran,
In the dowie banks of Yarrow.
- 'O hold your tongue now. daughter,' he says,
'An breed to me no more sorrow;
For I'll wed you on a better match
Than you have lost on Yarrow.'
- 'Hold your tongue now, father,' she says,
'An breed to me no more sorrow;
For a better rose will never spring
Than I have lost on Yarrow.'