BONNIE HOOSE O' AIRLIE
(found in Child book of ballads)
Now it fell oot on a bricht simmer's-day
when green grew aits and barley,
That there fell oot a greet dispute
'twixt gleyed Argyle and Airlie.
Argyle has raised an hunder men,
an hunder harness'd rarely,
And he's awa' by the back o' Dunkeld
tae plunder the Bonnie Hoose o' Airlie.
Lady Ogilvie looks o'er her bower window,
and O! but she looks weary,
An' there she spied the great Argyle
come to plunder the Bonnie Hoose o' Airlie.
Come doon, come doon, my lady Ogilvie,
come doon and kiss me fairly,
Or I swear by the hild o' my guid braidsword
I winna leave a stan'in' steyn in Airlie.
I winna come doon, ye cruel Argyle,
I winna kiss ye fairly,
I wadna kiss the fause Argyle
though he shudna leave a stan'in' steyn in Airlie.
He's ta'en her by the left shoulder,
sayin, Dame, where lies thy dowry?
O, it's east and west yon waterside,
and it's doon by the banks o' the Airlie.
They ha' soucht it up, they ha' soucht it doon,
they ha' soucht it maist severely,
Till they found it in the fair plum tree
that stands on the bowlin' green o' Airlie.
O, I hae seven braw sons, she said,
the youngest ne'er saw his daddie,
But tho' I had an hunder more
I'd gie them all tae Charlie!
But gin my guid lord had been at hame
as this nicht he is wi' Charlie,
There durstna a Campbell in all Argyle
hae plundered the Bonnie Hoose o' Airlie!
Gin my guid lord was naw at hame,
as this nicht he is wi' Charlie,
The dearest bluid o' all the kin
wad slocken the burnin' o'Airlie!
He's ta'en her by the middle sma',
and O! but she grat sairly!
He's led her up tae the top o' the hill
wheer she saw the burnin' o' Airlie.
The smoke and flame, they rose so high,
the walls were blackened fairly!
The lady laid her doon on the green to dee,
when she saw the burnin' o' Airlie!
(from miriam berg's folksong collection)