Douglas Tragedy- J. Esselmont (Aber) 1931 Carpenter
[From: James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/2/2/D, pp. 04647-04649 with the 'Black Douglas' ending. Arbitrary dialect.
R. Matteson 2018]
The Douglas Tragedy- sung by Miss Jean Esselmont of Central Square, Cuminestown, Aberdeenshire in 1931. Collected by James Madison Carpenter.
1. "Arise, arise, my seven brothers bold,
An' gird on your armour so bright,
An' better take care of your youngest sister,
Your eldest's away last night."
2. "Arise, arise, my seven brothers bold,
An' gird on your armour so bright,
Let it never be said that a sister of yours
Was married to a lord in the night[1]."
3. He's mounted her on a milk-white steed,
An' himsel on a dapple grey,
The night was bright, the moon shone bright,
And merrily they both rode away.
4. Lord William looked over his left shoulder,
To see what he could see,
An' there he spied her father an' her seven brothers bold,
Come riding over the lea.
5. "Licht doon, licht doon, Lady Margaret," he says,
"Take my steed by the rein,
I'll go fight your seven brethren bold,
And your father, I'll make for to stand."
6. She held his horse in her milk-white hand,
And never shed a tear,
Until that she sa' her seven brothers bold,
And her father was fighting so dear.
7. "Hold off, hold off," Lord William," she cried,
"Your strokes are wondrous sore,
Sweethearts I can get many a one,
But a father I'll never get more."
8. "O choose, Lady Margaret, choose," said he,
"Whether ye will go or bide.
"I'll go with you Lord William," she cried,
"Since ye've left me no other guide."
9. He's mounted her on a milk-white steed,
Himsel on a dapple grey,
An' with his bugle horn hanging down by his side,
An' so slowly they both rode away.
10. They rode on, an' farther on,
An' twas all by the light of the moon,
Till they came to yon clear stream,
And twas there they both lichted doon.
11. They both lichted doon to take a drink,
Of the water that ran so clear,
Twas there that she saw Lord William's heart's blood to flow,
Twas then she begun for to fear.
12. "Hold up, hold up, Lord William," she cried,
"For I fear that you've been slain,
"O no," he cried, "'Tis my reid scarlet cloak,
That shines in the water so plain."
13. He's mounted her on her milk-white steed,
An' himsel on the dapple grey,
With his bugle horn hanging down by his side,
An' so slowly's they both rode away.
14. It's they rode on, and on they rode,
Twas all by the light of the moon,
Until they came to his mother's hall door,
And twas there they both lichted doon.
15. "Ye'll mak my bed, mother," he says
"Ye'll mak it tae me fu' soon,
And lay Lady Margaret close to my back,
That I may sleep fu' soon."
16. Lord William died in the middle of the night,
Lady Margaret died on the morrow,
Lord William died for his ain true love,
Lady Margaret died of sorrow.
17. Lord William was buried in St. Mary's Kirk yaird,
Lady Margaret in St. Mary's choir,
On Lady Margaret's breist grew a reid, reid rose,
An' on Lord William's a briar.
18. They grew and they grew to the very church top,
Till they could not grow any higher,
So they twined themselves about in a true lover's knot,
For true lovers to admire.
19. They twa met and they twa plett,
An' sae fain's they would be near,
That all the wardle it micht ken,
That they were twa lovers dear.
20. Up then cam the Black Douglas,
An' o but he wis roch [rough],
He pulled oot the bonnie, bonnie briar
An' flung't in St. Mary's Loch.
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1. Usually "lord or a knight"