THE YOUNG MAXWELL.
1
Where gang ye, ye silly auld carle,
Wi' yere staff and shepherd fare?
I'm gaun to the hill, thou sodger man,
To shift my hirsels' lair.
Ae stride or twa took the silly auld carle,
An' a good long stride took he;
I trow thou be a freck auld carle,
Will ye show the way to me.
2
For I have ridden down bonnie Nith,
Sae have I the silver Orr,
And a' for the blood of the young Maxwell,
Which I love as a gled loves gore.
And he is gone with the silly auld carle
Adown by the rocks sae steep,
Until that they came to the auld castle,
That hangs o'er Dee sae deep.
3
The rocks were high, the woods were dark,
The Dee roll'd in his pride;
Light down and gang, thou sodger man,
For here ye mayna ride.
He drew the reins of his bonnie grey steed,
And gayly down he sprang,
His warcoat was of the scarlet fine,
Where the golden tassels hang.
4
He threw down his plaid, the silly auld carle,
The bonnet frae 'boon his bree,
And who was it but the young Maxwell,
And his good brown sword drew he.
Thou kill'd my father, thou vile southron,
Sae did ye my brethren three,
Which broke the heart of my ae sister
I loved as the light of my e'e.
5
Now draw thy sword, thou vile southron,
Red wet wi blood o' my kin;
That sword it cropt the fairest flower
E'er grew wi' a head to the sun;
Take ae stroke for my dear auld father,
Take twa for my brethren three,
And there's ane to thy heart for my ae sister
I loved as the light o' my e'e.
