Katherine Jafray
No: 221; variant: 221G
- O BONNY Catharine Jaffery,
That dainty maid so fair,
Once lovd the laird of Lochinvar,
Without any compare.
- Long time she lood him very well,
But they changed her mind away,
And now she goes another's bride,
And plays him foul play.
- The bonny laird of Lauderdale
Came from the South Countrie,
And he has wooed the pretty maid,
Thro presents entered he.
- For tocher-gear he did not stand,
She was a dainty may;
He 'greed him with her friends all,
And set the wedding-day.
- When Lochinvar got word o this,
He knew not what to do,
For losing of a lady fair
That he did love so true.
- 'But if I were young Lochinvar,
I woud not care a fly
To take her on her wedding-day
From all her company.
- 'Get ye a quiet messenger,
Send him thro all your land
For a hundred and fifty brave young lads,
To be at your command.
- 'To be all at your command,
And your bidding to obey,
Yet still cause you the trumpet sound
The voice of foul play.'
- He got a quiet messenger
To send thro all his land,
And full three hundred pretty lads
Were all at his command.
- Were all at his command,
And his bidding did obey,
Yet still he made the trumpet sound
The voice of foul play.
- Then he went to the bridal-house,
Among the nobles a',
And when he stepped upon the floor
He gave a loud huzza.
- 'Huzza! huzza! you English men,
Or borderers who were born,
Neer come to Scotland for a maid,
Or else they will you scorn.
- 'She'll bring you on with tempting words,
Aye till the wedding-day,
Syne give you frogs instead of fish,
And play you foul play.'
- 'The gentlemen all wondered
What could be in his mind,
And asked if he'd a mind to fight;
Why spoke he so unkind?
- Did he e'er see such pretty men
As were there in array?
'O yes,' said he, ae Fairy Court
Were leaping on the hay.
- 'As I came in by Hyland banks,
And in by Hyland braes,
There did I see a Fairy Court,
All leaping on the leas.
- 'I came not here to fight,' he said,
'But for good fellowshio gay;
I want to drink with your bridegroom,
And then I'll boun my way.'
- The glass was filled with good red wine,
And drunk between them twae:
'Give me one shake of your bonny bride's hand,
And then I'll boun my way.'
- He's taen her by the milk-white hands,
And by the grass-green sleeve,
Pulld her on horseback him behind,
At her friends askd nae leave.
- Syne rode the water with great speed,
And merrily the knows;
There fifty from the bridal came----
Indeed it was nae mows----
- Thinking to take the bride again,
Thro strangth if that they may;
But still he gart the trumpet sound
The voice of foul play.
- There were four and twenty ladies fair
All walking on the lea;
He gave to them the bonny bride,
And bade them boun their way.
- They splintered the spears in pieces now,
And the blades flew in the sky,
But the bonny laird of Lochinvar
Has gained the victory.
- Many a wife- and widow's son
Lay gasping on the ground,
But the bonny laird of Lochinvar
He has the victory won.