Douglas Tragedy- D. Edwards (Aber) c.1875 Carpenter
[From: James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/5/1/F, p. 08085, very spare Scot dialect.
R. Matteson 2018]
Lord William and Lady Margaret (Douglas Tragedy)- sung by David Edwards, 84 High St., Cuminestown, Scotland in the Formartine area of Aberdeenshire, approximately six miles east of Turriff. Learned in Cornhill 50 to 60 years ago.
1. "Stand up, stand up, my seven sons so bold
And up to your armour so bright,
Let it never be said that a sister of yours,
Was wed to a lord or a knight."
2. "Come doon, come doon, Lady Margaret," he said,
"Come hold my steed for me,
Till I go and fight your seven brothers bold
And your father so boldly to see [1]."
3. She held it in her milk-white hand,
Without ever shedding a tear,
Until she saw her seven brothers fall,
An her father fighting so dear.
4. "Hold off, hold off, Lord William," she cried,
"Your strokes are wondrous sair,
"Sweethearts I will get many a one,
But a father I'll never get no more."
5. "O choose, o choose, Lady Margaret," he cries
Either to come or to bide."
"Oh I maun gang with you,
Since you've left me no other guide."
6. So he mounted her on his milk-white steed,
An himself on the dapple grey,
With his bugle horn hanging doon by his side,
And so slowly they both rode away.
7. They rode on, and farther on,
It was all by the light of the the moon,
Until they came to yon clear water,
It was there that they both lighted doon.
8. They lighted doon to take a drink
Of the water that passed then so near,
It was there she saw his life's blood
Flow from his body so fair.
9. "I fear, I fear, you've got a wound,
"I fear you're slain," she cries.
"It's only shadow of my red scarlet cloak,
That is shining in your eyes."
10. He mounted her on his milk-white steed,
Himself on a dapple grey,
With his bugle horn hanging doon by his side,
And so slowly they both rode away.
11. They rode on, and farther on,
It was all by the light of the the moon,
Until they came to yon castle tower,
It was there that they both lighted doon.
12 "Awake, awake, my mother," he cried
"And make my bed for me,
"For I have brought my true love here,
This night to lie with me."
13. Lord William he died in the middle of the night,
Lady Margaret died on the morrow.
Lord William died for his true love's sake,
Lady Margaret died of sorrow.
14. And so these two in this grave were laid,
They were both laid side by side,
Out of Lord William's grave there grew a red rose,
And out of Lady Margaret's a sweet briar.
1. Usually this is "stand" and has the "hand/stand" rhyme.