  IO did ye ever hear o’ brave Earl Brand? Ay lally, o lilly lally He courted the King’s daughter o’ fair England All i’ the night sae early. IIShe was scarcely fifteen years that tide Till sae boldly she came to his bedside. III‘O Earl Bran’, fain wad I see A pack of hounds let loose on the lea.’— IV‘O lady, I have no steeds but one, But thou shall ride, and I will run.’— V‘O Earl Bran’, my father has two, And thou shall have the best of tho’.’— VIThey have ridden o’er moss and moor, And they have met neither rich nor poor, VIIUntil they met with old Carl Hood: —He’s aye for ill and never for good. VIII‘Earl Bran’, if ye love me, Seize this old carl, and gar him die.’— IX‘O lady fair, it wad be sair To slay an old man that has grey hair. X‘O lady fair, I’ll no do sae; I’ll gie him a pound and let him gae.’ XI‘O where hae ye ridden this lee-lang Or where hae ye stolen this lady away?’— XII‘I have not ridden this lee-lang day, Nor yet have I stolen this lady away. XIII‘She is my only, my sick sistÈr, Which I have brought from Winchester.’— XIV‘If she be sick and like to dead, Why wears she the ribbon sae red? XV‘If she be sick and like to die, Then why wears she the gold on high?’ XVIWhen came the carl to this lady’s yett Rudely, rudely he rapp’d thereat. XVII‘O where’s the lady o’ this ha’?’— ‘She’s out with her maids to play at the ba’.’— XVIII‘Ha, ha, ha! ye are a’ mista’en; Gae count your maidens o’er again. XIX‘I met her far beyond the lea, With the young Earl Brand, his leman to be.’ XXHer father arm’d of his men fifteen, And they’re ridden after them all-by-dene XXIO’er her left shoulder the lady look’d then: ‘O Earl Bran’, we both are ta’en!’— XXII‘If they come on me ane by ane, Ye may stand by and see them slain. XXIII‘But if they come on me ane and all, Ye may stand by and see me fall.’ XXIVThey have come on him ane by ane, And fourteen men he has them slain. XXVBut the fifteenth man behind stole round, And he’s gi’en him a deadly wound. XXVIBut for a’ sae wounded as Earl Brand was He has set his lady on her horse. XXVIIThey rode till they came to the water o’ Doune. And there he lighted to wash his wound. XXVIII‘O Earl Bran’, I see your heart’s bloud!’— ‘It’s na but the glent XXIXThey rode till they came to his mother’s yett, So faint and feebly he rapp’d thereat. XXX‘O my son’s slain, he’s falling to swoun, And a’ for the sake of an English loun!’— XXXI‘So say not sae, my dearest mother, But marry her to my youngest brother. XXXII‘This has not been the death o’ ane, But it’s been the death o’ fair seventeen.’ FOOTNOTES: |
|
