1 ’Twas on a misty day, a fair maiden gay Went out to the Cowdenknowes; Lang, lang she thought ere her ewes woud bught, Wi her pail for to milk the ewes. O the broom, the bonny, bonny broom, The broom o the Cowdenknowes! And aye sae sweet as the lassie sang, In the ewe-bught, milking her ewes. 2 And aye as she sang the greenwoods rang, Her voice was sae loud and shrill; They heard the voice o this well-far’d maid At the other side o the hill. 3 ‘My mother she is an ill woman, And an ill woman is she; Or than she might have got some other maid To milk her ewes without me. 4 ‘My father was ance a landed laird, As mony mair have been; But he held on the gambling trade Till a ‘s free lands were dune. 5 ‘My father drank the brandy and beer, My mother the wine sae red; Gars me, poor girl, gang maiden lang, For the lack o tocher guid.’ 6 There was a troop o merry gentlemen Came riding alang the way, And one o them drew the ewe-bughts unto, At the voice o this lovely may. 7 ‘O well may you sing, my well-far’d maid, And well may you sing, I say, For this is a mirk and a misty night, And I’ve ridden out o my way.’ 8 ‘Ride on, ride on, young man,’ she said, ‘Ride on the way ye ken; But keep frae the streams o the Rock-river, For they run proud and vain. 9 ‘Ye winna want boys for meat, kind sir, And ye winna want men for fee; It sets not us that are young women To show young men the way.’ 10 ‘O winna ye pity me, fair maid? O winna ye pity me? O winna ye pity my poor steed, Stands trembling at yon tree?’ 11 ‘Ride on, ride on, ye rank rider, Your steed’s baith stout and strang; For out o the ewe-bught I winna come, For fear that ye do me wrang. 12 ‘For well ken I by your high-colld hat, And by your gay gowd ring, That ye are the Earl o Rock-rivers, That beguiles a’ our young women.’ 13 ‘O I’m not the Earl o the Rock-rivers, Nor ever thinks to be; But I am ane o his finest knights, Rides aft in his companie. 14 ‘I know you well by your lamar beads, And by your merry winking ee, That ye are the maid o the Cowdenknowes, And may very well seem to be.’ 15 He’s taen her by the milk-white hand, And by the grass-green sleeve, He’s laid her down by the ewe-bught-wa, At her he spiered nae leave. 16 When he had got his wills o her, And his wills he had taen, He lifted her up by the middle sae sma, Says, Fair maid, rise up again. 17 Then he has taen out a siller kaim, Kaimd down her yellow hair; Says, Fair maid, take that, keep it for my sake, Case frae me ye never get mair. 18 Then he put his hand in his pocket, And gien her guineas three; Says, Take that, fair maiden, till I return, ‘Twill pay the nurse’s fee.