Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight
No: 4; variant: 4A
- FAIR lady Isabel sits in her bower sewing,
Aye as the gowans grow gay
There she heard an elf-knight blawing his horn.
The first morning in May
- 'If I had yon horn that I hear blawing,
And yon elf-knight to sleep in my bosom.'
- This maiden had scarcely these words spoken,
Till in at her window the elf-knight has luppen.
- 'It's a very strange matter, fair maiden,' said he,
'I canna blaw my horn but ye call on me.
- 'But will ye go to yon greenwood side?
If ye canna gang, I will cause you to ride.'
- He leapt on a horse, and she on another,
And they rode on to the greenwood together.
- 'Light down, light down, lady Isabel,' said he,
We are come to the place where ye are to die.
- 'Hae mercy, hae mercy, kind sir, on me,
Till ance my dear father and mother I see.'
- 'Seven king's-daughters here hae I slain,
And ye shall be the eight o them.'
- 'O sit down a while, lay your head on my knee,
That we may hae some rest before that I die.'
- She stroakd him sae fast, the nearer he did creep,
Wi a sma charm she lulld him fast asleep.
- Wi his ain sword-belt sae fast as she ban him,
Wi his ain dag-durk sae sair as she dang him.
- 'If seven king's-daughters here ye hae slain,
Lye ye here, a husband to them a'.'