English and Scottish Ballads, Volume IV

Ballads, English -- England -- Texts; Ballads, Scots -- Scotland -- Texts

There was a may, and a weel-far'd may,
      Lived high up in yon glen:
    Her name was Katharine Janfarie,
      She was courted by mony men.

    Up then came Lord Lauderdale,                                    5
      Up frae the Lawland Border;
    And he has come to court this may,
      A' mounted in good order.

    He told na her father, he told na her mother,
      And he told na ane o' her kin;                                10
    But he whisper'd the bonnie lassie hersell,
      And has her favour won.

    But out then cam Lord Lochinvar,
      Out frae the English Border,
    All for to court this bonny may,                                15
      Weel mounted, and in order.

    He told her father, he told her mother,
      And a' the lave o' her kin;
    But he told na the bonnie may hersell,
      Till on her wedding e'en.                                     20

    She sent to the Lord o' Lauderdale,
      Gin he wad come and see;
    And he has sent word back again,
      Weel answer'd she suld be.

    And he has sent a messenger,                                    25
      Right quickly through the land,
    And raised mony an armed man
      To be at his command.

    The bride looked out at a high window,
      Beheld baith dale and down,                                   30
    And she was aware of her first true love,
      With riders mony a one.

    She scoffed him, and scorned him,
      Upon her wedding day;
    And said--it was the fairy court,                               35
      To see him in array!

    "O come ye here to fight, young lord,
      Or come ye here to play,
    Or come ye here to drink good wine
      Upon the wedding day?"                                        40

    "I come na here to fight," he said,
      "I come na here to play;
    I'll but lead a dance wi' the bonny bride,
      And mount, and go my way."

    It is a glass of the blood-red wine                             45
      Was filled up them between,
    And aye she drank to Lauderdale,
      Wha her true love had been.

    He's ta'en her by the milk-white hand,
      And by the grass-green sleeve;                                50
    He's mounted her hie behind himsell,
      At her kinsmen speir'd na leave.

    "Now take your bride, Lord Lochinvar,
      Now take her, if you may!
    But if you take your bride again,                               55
      We'll call it but foul play."

    There were four-and-twenty bonnie boys,
      A' clad in the Johnstone grey;
    They said they would take the bride again,
      By the strong hand, if they may.                              60

    Some o' them were right willing men,
      But they were na willing a';
    And four-and-twenty Leader lads
      Bid them mount and ride awa'.

    Then whingers flew frae gentles' sides,                         65
      And swords flew frae the shea's,
    And red and rosy was the blood
      Ran down the lily braes.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

English and Scottish Ballads, Volume IV

No reviews yet