Douglas Tragedy- A. Campbell (Aber) 1930 Carpenter
[From: James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/3/G, pp. 06748-06749. Very few Scot words but there are some, inconsistent dialect.
R. Matteson 2018]
The Douglas Tragedy - as sung by Alexander Campbell of Ythan Wells, Aberdeenshire about 1930.
1. "Stand up, stand up, ye seven sons so bold
Stand up to your armour so bright,
Let it never be said that a sister o' yours,
Was married to a lord or knight."
2. Lord William looked over his left shoulder,
To see what he could spy,
And there he spied her seven brothers bold,
And her father drawing nigh.
3. "Come doon, come doon, Lady Margaret," he cried,
"Hold my steed in your milk-white hand,
Till I turn back your seven brothers bold
And make your father to stand."
4. She held his steed by the bridal rein,
Without shedding a tear,
Until she saw her seven brothers fall,
An' her father still fighting severe.
5. "Hold off, hold off, Lord William," she cried,
"Your strokes they are wondrous sair,
"Sweethearts I will get many a one,
But a father I'll never get mair."
6. "Choose, then choose, Lady Margaret," he said,
It's either to go or to bide."
"O I maun gang wi' you, Lord William
Since ye've left me nae other guide."
7. He mounted her on her milk-white steed,
And himself on a dapple grey,
His sword and his bugle hinging doon by his side,
And so slowly they both rode away.
8. They rode on, and still further on,
It was all by the light of the moon,
Until that they came to yon clear running stream,
It was there that they both lighted doon.
9. Twas there that they lichted doon for to drink,
O' the water so cool and so clear,
Twas there that she spied the reid drops o blood,
Fell into the water so clear.
10. "I'm afraid, I'm afraid, Lord William," she said,
"I'm afraid that you've been slain,"
"It's nothing but my scarlet coat,
That shines in the river so plain."
11. He mounted her on her milk-white steed,
Himsel on the dapple grey,
With a sword and a bugle hanging doon by his side,
And so slowly both rode away.
12. They rode on and still further on,
It was all by the light o' the moon,
Until that they came to his mother's ha' door,
It was there they lighted doon.
13. "Get up, get up, lady mother," he said
"Get up and let me in,
"Get up, get up, lady mother," he said
"For this nicht my fair lady I've won."
14. "O mak me my bed lady mother,
O mak it braid and deep,
An' lay my Lady Margaret at my back,
And the sounder we may sleep."
15. Lord William he died in the middle o' the nicht,
Lady Margaret she died on the morrow.
Lord William died for his true love's sake,
Lady Margaret died for sorrow.
16. Lord William was buried in the green church yard,
Lady Margaret in St. Mary's choir,
Out o Lord William there grew a reid rose,
And out o Lady Margaret a briar.
17. They grew and they grew, and still further grew,
Till they reached one another there,
And now they are twined in a true lover's knot,
For all true lovers to admire."