Douglas Tragedy- John Bain (Aber) 1908 Greig B
[From: The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection. edited by Patrick Shuldham-Shaw, Emily B Lyle and Katherine Campbell.
R. Matteson 2018]
B. The Douglas Tragedy- sung by John Bain of Dunecht, north-east Aberdeenshire about 1908. Collected by Duncan.
1. "Stand up, stand up, ye seven sons so bold,
And stand to your armour so bright,
And never let it be said by a laird of renown,
That your sister was wed last night."
2. Lord William looked over his left shoulder,
To see what he could spy,
And there he spied his own true love[1],
She was standing him close by.
3. "Come down, come down, Lady Margaret," he cries,
"And ye'll hold my steed in your hand,
Till I go fight with your seven brothers bold,
But your father, I'll make him stand."
4. She ta'en[2] his steed in her milk-white hand,
An' she never shed one tear,
Until that she saw her seven brothers fall,
But her father stood fighting so dear.
5. "Hold off, hold off, Lord William," she cried,
"Your strokes are wondrous sore,
Sweethearts I may get mony's the one,
But a father I'll never get more."
6. He's mounted her on his milk-white steed,
And himself on his dapple grey,
With his bugle horn hingin' down by his side,
And so slowly's they both rode away.
7. They rode, they rode, and sae better's they rode, And 'twas all by the light o' the moon,
Until they came to yon bonnie burnie side,
And there they both lighted down.
8. It's they both lighted down, it was for to take a drink,
And[In] the cool water's running so clear,
It was then she saw his heart's blood run out,
It was then she began for to fear.
9. "Hold up, hold up, Lord William," she cries,
"I'm afraid that ye are slain,
"For I see the blood on your red scarlet gown,
Goes a-trinkin' down yon stream."
10. "O no, O no, Lady Margaret," he cries[3],
For it's only the shadow of my red scarlet gown,
Goes a-trinkin' down yon stream.
11. He's mounted her on his milk-white steed,
And himself on his dapple grey,
With his bugle horn hingin' down by his side,
And so slowly's they both rode away.
12. They rode, they rode, and sae better's they rode, And 'twas all by the light o' the moon,
Until they came to his old mother gates,
And twas there that they both lighted down.
13. "O rise, O rise, old mother," he cries
"O rise and lat me in.
"For this last three nights I hae wanted my sleep
But this night my true love I hae won."
14. "It's you'll make my bed both lang and wide
"And you'll make it soft and deep,
And you'll lay my true love doon by my side,
That the faster I might sleep."
15. "She made his bed both lang and wide
"And she's made it soft and deep,
And she's lain his true love doon by his side,
That the faster he might sleep."
16. Lord William he died in the middle of the night,
Lady Margaret she died on the morrow,
Lord William he died for his true lover's sake,
Lady Margaret she died for the sorrow.
17. Lord William was buried in St. Mary's Square,
Lady Margaret was buried St. Lairs,
And out of Lord William's grave grew a red rose,
And out of Lady Margaret's a briar.
18. They grew and grew and sae better's they grew,
And they could grew ere they reached each other,
And everyone that their graves hen passed by,
Says, That was the fruit of two lovers.
__________
1. Usually " her seven brothers bold/Come riding over the lea."
2. originally "teen"
3. stanzas 9 and 10 are usually combined, this is a corruption, I don't think a line is missing.