The Dowie Dens o Yarrow
THE BRAES O YARROW—S
[_]
Findlay's MSS, I, 181; “from
Banffshire, through James Milne, Arbroath.”
1
There lived a lady in the South,
Ye would scarcely find her marrow;
She was courted by nine gentlemen
An a ploughman-lad frae Yarrow.
2
Ae nicht the nine sat drinkin wine
To the lass wha had nae marrow,
When the ploughman swore, tho they were a score
He wad fecht them a' in Yarrow.
3
It's he's gane ower yon high, high hill,
And doon yon glen sae narrow,
An there he saw nine armëd men,
To fecht wi him in Yarrow.
4
‘There's nine o you an I'm but ane,
An that's an unequal marrow,
But wi this gude blade and powerfu arm
I'll lay you low on Yarrow.’
5
It's three he slew, and three withdrew,
And three lay dead on Yarrow,
But in behind cam her brother John,
An pierced his body thorough.
6
‘Gae hame, gae hame, you fause young man,
An tell your sister sorrow,
That her true-love John lies dead and gone
In the dowie dens o Yarrow.’
7
‘O father dear, I've dreamed a dream,
I'm feared it will prove sorrow;
I dreamed I was puin the heather-bells sweet
On the bonny braes o Yarrow.’
8
‘O daughter dear, your dream is read,
I'm feared it will prove sorrow;
Your true-love John lies dead and gone
In the dowie dens o Yarrow.’
9
It's she's gane ower yon high, high hill,
An doon yon glen sae narrow,
An there she saw her true-love John
Lyin cauld an dead on Yarrow.
10
She washed his face an combed his hair,
Wi muckle grief an sorrow,
She rowed him i the plaid she wore,
In the dowie dens o Yarrow.
11
Her hair it was three quarters lang,
The colour being yellow;
She tied it round his middle sma,
An carried him hame frae Yarrow.
12
‘O daughter dear, I pray forbear,
I'll wed you to another marrow;
I'll wed you to some fitter match
Than the lad that died on Yarrow.’
13
‘O father dear, you hae seven sons,
Should you wed them a' to-morrow,
A fairer flower never grew in June
Than the lad that died on Yarrow.’
14
This lady, being six months with child
To the ploughman lad of Yarrow,
She fell into her father's arms
An died wi grief on Yarrow.
