DOWIE DENS OF YARROW
(learned from Ken Spiker and Charlie Brown in the early 1960s; "dowie" means dark and damp)
Late at e'en, drinkin' the wine, and ere they paid the lawin',
You took our sister to be your wife, and thought her not your marrow (equal)
I took your sister to be my wife, and I made her my marrow;
He has hame tae his lady gane, as he had done before, O,
O stay at hame, my noble lord, O stay at hame, my marrow,
Now hold your tongue, my lady fair, for what needs a' this sorrow?
She's kissed his cheek, she's kaimed his hair, as oft she'd done before, O!
O fare ye weel, my lady gay! O fare ye weel, my Sarah!
As he gaed o'er the Tennies bank, I wot he gaed wi' sorrow,
O come ye here to part your land, the bonnie forest thorough?
I come not here to part my land, and neither to beg nor borrow;
If I see all, ye're nine tae ane, and that's unequal marrow (matching)
Four has he hurt, and five has slain, on the bloody braes o' Yarrow;
Gae hame, gae hame, gude brother John, and tell your sister Sarah,
As he gaed owre yon high, high hill, as he had done before, O!
Yestre'en I dreamed a dolefu' dream, I fear there will be sorrow;
O gentle wind that bloweth south, from where my lord repaireth,
I'll read your dream, my sister dear, I'll tell you all your sorrow;
But in the glen strove armed men, they've wrought me dule and sorrow;
She's torn the ribbons frae her head that were baith thick and narrow,
Sometimes she rade, sometimes she gaed, as oft she'd done before, O!
As she sped down yon high, high hill, she gaed wi' dule and sorrow;
She's kissed his cheek, she kaimed his hair, she searched his wounds all thorough;
She's kissed his cheek, she kaimed his hair, as oft she'd done before, O!
Now haud your tongue, my daughter dear, for a' this breeds but sorrow;
O haud your tongue, my father dear, ye mind me but o' sorrow;
Tak' ham' your ousen, tak' ham' your kye, for they hae bred our sorrow;
(from miriam berg's folksong collection)
They set a combat them between to fight it in the dawin'.
You stole her frae her father's back, when she was the Rose o' Yarrow.
I stole her frae her father's back, and she's still the Rose o' Yarrow.
Says, Madam, I maun keep a tryst, on the dowie houms o' Yarrow.
My cruel brother will you betray, on the dowie dens o' Yarrow.
For if I gae I'll soon return frae the dowie dens o' Yarrow.
She's belted him wi' his noble brand, and he's awa' tae Yarrow.
For I maun gae, though I ne'er return frae the dowie houms o' Yarrow.
Till down in the den, he saw nine armed men on the dowie dens o' Yarrow.
Or come ye here to wield your brand on the dowie dens o' Yarrow?
But I come here to wield my brand on the bonnie banks o' Yarrow.
Yet will I fight while lasts my brand on the dowie dens o' Yarrow.
Till that stubborn knicht cam' him behind, and ran his body thorough.
To come and lift her leafu' lord, who's sleeping sound on Yarrow.
There he met his sister dear, was comin' fast to Yarrow.
I dreamed I pu'd the heather green wi' my true love on Yarrow.
Convey a kiss from his dear mouth, and tell me how he fareth!
You pu'd the heather wi' your true love; he's killed, he's killed on Yarrow.
They've slain--the comeliest knicht they've slain, he bleeding lies on Yarrow.
She's kiltit up hir gae claithing, and she's awa' tae Yarrow.
And a' between she fell in a sweine, lang ere she cam' tae Yarrow.
And in the den spied ten slain men, on the dowie banks o' Yarrow.
She kissed them till her lips grew red, on the dowie houms o' Yarrow.
Syne wi' a sigh her heart did break, on the dowie braes o' Yarrow.
I'll wed ye tae a better lord than him ye lost on Yarrow.
A fairer rose did never bloom than now lies cropped on Yarrow.
I wis that they had a' gane mad when they cam' first tae Yarrow.