The Knight’s Ghost
No: 265; variant: 265A
- 'THERE is a fashion in this land,
And even come to this country,
That every lady should meet her lord
When he is newly come frae sea:
- 'Some wi hawks, and some wi hounds,
And other some wi gay monie;
Bit I will gae myself alone,
And set his young son on his knee.'
- She's taen her young son in her arms,
And nimbly walkd by yon sea-strand,
And there she spy'd her father's ship,
As she was sailing to dry land.
- 'Where hae ye put my ain gude lord,
This day he stays sae far frae me?'
'If ye be wanting your ain gude lord,
A sight o him ye'll never see.'
- 'Was he brunt? or was he shot?
Or was he drowned in the sea?
Or what's become o my ain gude lord,
That he will neer appear to me?'
- 'He wasna brunt, nor was he shot,
Nor was he drowned in the sea;
He was slain in Dunfermling,
A fatal day to you and me.'
- 'Come in, come in, my merry young men,
Come in and drink the wine wi me;
And a' the better ye shall fare
For this gude news ye tell to me.'
- She's brought them down to yon cellar,
She brought them fifty steps and three;
She birled wi them the beer and wine,
Till they were as drunk as drunk could be.
- Then she has lockd her cellar-door,
For there were fifty steps and three:
'Lie there, wi my sad malison,
For this bad news ye've tauld to me.'
- She's taen the keys intill her hand
And threw them deep, deep in the sea:
'Lie there, wi my sad malison,
Till my gude lord return to me.'
- Then she sat down in her own room,
And sorrow lulld her fast asleep,
And up it starts her own gude lord,
And even at that lady's feet.
- 'Take here the keys, Janet,' he says,
'That ye threw deep, deep in the sea;
And ye'll relieve my merry young men,
For they've nane o the swick o me.
- 'They shot the shot, and drew the stroke,
And wad in red bluid to the knee;
Nae sailors mair for their lord coud do
Nor my young men they did for me.'
- 'I hae a question at you to ask,
Before that ye depart frae me;
You'll tell to me what day I'll die,
And what day will my burial be?'
- 'I hae nae mair o God's power
Than he has granted unto me;
But come to heaven when ye will,
There porter to you I will be.
- 'But ye'll be wed to a finer knight
Than ever was in my degree;
Unto him ye'll hae children nine,
And six o them will be ladies free.
- 'The other three will be bold young men,
To fight for king and countrie;
The ane a duke, the second a knight,
And third a laird o lands sae free.'