Douglas Tragedy- Annie Kidd (Aber) c1930 Carpenter
[From: James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/3/G, pp. 06750-06751. Has the "blue guilded horn" of print version. Almost no dialect, then suddenly -- dialect for words previously given without it (see stanza 8, for example).
R. Matteson 2018]
The Douglas Tragedy- sung by Mrs Annie Kidd of Ivy Cottage, Glen Ythen, Rothienorman, Aberdeenshire. Collected by James Madison Carpenter, c. 1930.
1. "Stand up, stand up, ye seven sons so bold,
Stand up to your armour so bright,
May it never be said of your dear sister,
To be married to a [lord or] knight."
2. "Stand up, stand up, lady Margaret," he said,
"And hold my steed in your hand,
Or I be revenged of your seven brethren bold
And your father put to a stand."
3. "Hold off, hold off," Lord William," she cried,
"Your strokes are wondrous sore,
I may get a sweetheart and many a one,
But I'll never get a father any more."
4. She has stood and longer stood,
And many was the tear shed she,
Until he saw her seven brothers slain,
An her father, who she loved so dear.
5. "Will you go with me, Lady Margaret?" he said
Will you go with me or bide?"
"I'll go with you, Lord William," she said
Since you have left me no other guide."
6. He has mounted her on a milk-white steed,
Himsel on a dappled grey,
With his blue guilded [bugle] horn hanging doon by his side,
As so slowly as they rode away.
7. They rode on, and farther on,
It was a' by the light o' the moon,
Until they came to a clear water,
And there they lighted doon.
8. They lighted doon to take a drink,
Of the water that ran so clear,
When doon the stream ran her sweetheart's blood,
Then sair, sair did she fear."
9. "Hold up, hold up, Lord William," she cried,
"I'm afraid that you are slain,
"It's but the shadow of my scarlet red cloak,
That shines in the water so clear."
10. They rode on, and farther on,
Twas yet by the light o' the moon,
Until they came to his mother boor [bow'r] door,
And there they lighted doon.
11. "Oh mother dear will you make my bed,
you will make it soft and fine,
And lay my lady down by my side,
That we may sleep full soon."
12. Lord William was dead or [e're] the middle of the night,
Lady Margaret long before morrow,
Lord William died of his wounds,
Lady Margaret died of sorrow.
13. Lord William was buried in St. Mary's kirk [yard],
Lady Margaret in St. Mary's square,
And out of her bosom grew a red rose,
And out of her lover's a briar.
14. 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.
15. So this twa met and this twa plait,
And so fain as they would have been near,
So all you truelovers who come this way,
May know they were twa lovers dear.