Lord William- Mrs Duncan (Aber) c.1930 Carpenter
[My abbreviated title. From: James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/5/1/E, p. 08083, missing the opening.
R. Matteson 2018]
Lord William and Lady Margaret- as sung by Mrs William Duncan of Tories, Oyne, by Turriff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
1. Stand up stand up, ye seven sons so bold
And ye'll stand to your armour so bright,
It'll ne'er be said that a sister of yours,
Shall be wed to a lord or a knight."
2. Lord William looked over his broad shoulder,
To see what he could see,
And there he saw her seven brothers bold,
Come riding over the lea.
3. "Come down, come down, Lady Margaret," he cries,
"Take my steed in yer hand,
Till I go an' fight with your seven brothers bold
An' yer father I'll make stand."
4. She's taen his steed in her milk-white hand,
An' she never shed one tear,
Until she saw her seven brothers fall,
An her father stood fighting sae near.
5. "Hold off your hand, Lord William," she said,
"For your strokes they are wondrous sore,
"Sweethearts I may get a many a one,
But a father I'll never get more."
6. "Choose, oh choose, Lady Margaret," he said
Either to go or to bide."
"Oh I maun gang along wi' thee,
Since ye've left me no other guide."
7. He mounted her on a milk-white steed,
Himsel' on a dapple grey,
Wi' his bugle horn hanging doon by his side,
An' so slowly they baith rode away.
8. They rode on, an' farther on,
Twas all by the light of the the moon,
Until that they came to yonder clear stream,
An' twas there that they both lighted doon.
9. They both lighted down to tak a drink,
Of the water that run sae clear,
An' down the stream ran his heart's blood,
Oh sair, sair did she fear.
10. "Hold up your head, Lord William," she said,
For I doubt not but ye're slain,
"Oh no, it's the shadow of my scarlet coat,
That shines in the water sae clear.
11. They rode on, an' farther on,
Twas all by the light of the moon,
Until that they came to his father's ha' door,
An' there they baith lighted doon.
12. "Oh mother dear, ye'll make my bed,
Ye'll mak it soft an' fine,
An ye'll lay my lady doon by my side,
That I may sleep full soon."
13. Lord William he died in the middle o' the night,
Lady Margaret she died on the morrow.
Lord William he died for his ain true love,
Lady Margaret she died for sorrow.
15. Lord William was buried in St. Mary's kirkyard,
Lady Margaret in St. Mary's choir,
An' from Lord William's there grew a red rose,
An' from Lady Margaret's a sweet briar.
16 They grew an' grew an' on they grew,
Till they reached one another sae near,
Twas to let them know all that passed by,
That there lies twa lovers sae dear.