Young Johnstone
No: 88; variant: 88A
- THE knight stands in the stable-door,
As he was for to ryde,
When out then came his fair lady,
Desiring him to byde.
- 'How can I byde? how dare I byde?
How can I byde with thee?
Have I not killd thy ae brother?
Thou hadst nae mair but he.'
- 'If you have killd my ae brother,
Alas, and woe is me!
But if I save your fair body,
The better you'll like me.'
- She's tane him to her secret bower,
Pinnd with a siller pin,
And she's up to her highest tower,
To watch that none come in.
- She had na well gane up the stair,
And entered in her tower,
When four and twenty armed knights
Came riding to the door.
- 'Now God you save, my fair lady,
I pray you tell to me,
Saw you not a wounded knight
Come riding by this way?'
- 'Yes, bloody, bloody was his sword,
And bloody were his hands;
But if the steed he rides be good,
He's past fair Scotland's strands.
- 'Light down, light down then, gentlemen,
And take some bread and wine;
The better you will him pursue
When you shall lightly dine.'
- 'We thank you for your bread, lady,
We thank you for your wine;
I would gie thrice three thousand pounds
Your fair body was mine.'
- Then she's gane to her secret bower,
Her husband dear to meet;
But he drew out his bloody sword,
And wounded her sae deep.
- 'What aileth thee now, good my lord?
What aileth thee at me?
Have you not got my father's gold,
But and my mother's fee?'
- 'Now live, now live, my fair lady,
O live but half an hour,
There's neer a leech in fair Scotland
But shall be at thy bower.'
- 'How can I live? how shall I live?
How can I live for thee?
See you not where my red heart's blood
Runs trickling down my knee?'