Lord Thomas & Ladie Margaret- Rachel Rodgers (Ayr) c.1827
[From "Andrew Crawfurd's collection of ballads and songs" by Andrew Crawfurd, E. B. Lyle - 1975.
R. Matteson 2018]
Lord Thomas and Ladie Margaret- Sung by Rachel Rodgers of Wallace Street, Ayr, c.1827. Collected by Thomas MacQueen.
1. O sleep or wake Lord Percy,
Or are you yet within,
Rise up and tent your young dochter,
For the eldest ane is gone.
2. He called up his seven braw sons,
To get their armour bricht,
For it neir shall be said a dochter o mine,
Shall be wed wi lord or knight.
3. Up then rase his seven braw sons,
An' gat their armour bricht,
And they're away to the meadow green,
Lord Thomas for to fecht [fight].
4. O haud my horse Ladie Margaret he said,
Haud be the bridal rein,
until I fecht yout sevin breither bauld
In he meadow wher they stand.
5. An she held an ay she went
An never drap a teir,
Until she saw her sevin breither faw,
An her father she lue't [lov-ed] sae deir,
6. O haud your hand Lord Thomas she said,
Your blows are unco sair
I may get sweethearts monie a ane,
But a father I'll neir get mair.
7. Syne she pouit out her silk napkin
That was sae soft an' fine.
And she dictit[wiped] the blude frae her breithers wound,
That ran mair red than wine.
8. You're welcome you're welcome ladie Margaret,
Either to gang or byde,
"I'll gae, I'll gae Lord Thomas, she said,
Sin aw my friends are dead."
9. He set her on a milk-white steed,
Himself upon a bay,
An syne he blew his beugle horn,
An' stately rode away.
10. When he cam to his mother' bower
In the middle o the nicht,
Rise up, rise up, dear mither, he said,
I've gaint a ladie bricht.
11. O lay my head and mak my bed,
O mak it wide an' deep,
And lay my ladie by my syde,
The sounner I may sleep.
12. She tied head and made his bed,
She made it wide an' deep,
And laid his ladie by his syde,
An' they teuk an endless sleep.
13. Lord Thomas died at twal o'clock,
Ladie Margaret died ere day,
An' did you eir hear tell o a couple wed,
That tauk sae short a stay.