Lord William's Death- Solomon and Beth Holcolm (KY) no date given; Version A; c. 1940
[Collected by John Jacob Niles from his Ballad Book, version A, no date given, published 1961. After Niles detailed background notes he fails to mention the date- a mere oversight? Who knows. In version B the horse was also named Pointed Star- a coincidence? Who knows. Pointed Star is not found in other US versions, oh well, caveat emptor.
I'm going to affix a date of c. 1940, Niles didn't do as much "collecting" later on.
R. Matteson 2014]
Lord William's Death- Solomon and Beth Holcolm (KY)
1. "Awake, ye seven sleepers,
And take a warned of me:
I will not have your eldest girl,
But the wee one rides with me, fa la la,
The wee one rides with me, fa la le,
By the little Binory."
2. "Rised up, my seven sons,
Put on your armor bright,
No man shall say that a steward's son,
Took my daughter away by night, fa, la, la,
Took my daughter away by night, fa, la, le,
By the little Binory."
3. "I thank you, sir, I thank you,
But it can plainly be seen
That I could not be a steward's son
With my mother quite a queen, fa la la,
With my mother quite a queen, fa la le,
By the little Binory."
4. He mounted her on a milk-white horse,
Himself on a dapple gray,
And he swung his bugle horn down at his side
And so went singing away, fa la la,
And so went singing away, fa la le,
By the little Binory.
5. They had not gone a furlong
When he cast his eyes around,
And there came her father and all seven brothers,
Came trippling over the ground, fa la la,
Came trippling over the ground, fa la le,
By the little Binory.
6. "Light down, light down, fair Ellen,
And hold my gray by the rein,
While I do play with your father dear
And all seven brothers again, fa la la,
And all seven brothers again, fa la le,
By the little Binory."
7. She held, she held so silent,
And never shed er tear
Until she saw her brothers fall
And the father who loved her so dear, fa la, la,
And the father who loved her so denr, fa la le,
By the little Binory.
8. "Hold hard, hold hard, Lord Williarr-r,
Your hand so strong and so sore,
For I could have many lovers true,
But fathers I never have more, fa la la,
But fathers I never have more, fa la le,
By the little Binory."
9. The milk-white horse she mounted
Himself on the dapple gray,
And with his buckler low down at his side,
They sadly rode away, fa la la,
They sadly rode away, fa la le,
By the little Binory.
10. They rode to his mother's castle
And loudly tingled the ring,
Saying: "Mother awake or Mother asleep,
Oh pray come let us in, fa la la,
Oh pray come let us in, fa la le,
By the little Binory."
11. "Oh Sister dear, go make my bed,
For my wounds are deep and sore.
Oh Mother dear, come bind up my head,
For you never will bind it more, fa la la,
For you never will bind it more, fa la le,
By the little Binory."
12. It was three hours till morning,
The cocks began to crow,
When seven wounds Lord William had,
Began his blood to flow, fa la la,
Began his blood to flow, fa la le,
By the little Binory.
13. Now William died like hit was today,
Fair Ellen she died of a morrow.
Lord William died of his wounds so sore,
Fair Ellen she died of sorrow, fa la la,
Fair Ellen she died of sorrow, fa la le,
By the little Binory.
14. They lay fair Ellen in the near churchyard,
Lord William just beside her,
And from his heart grew a red, red rose,
And from her heart a briar, fa la la,
And from her heart a briar, fa la le,
By the little Binory.
15. They grew so close to the church's wall
Till they could not grow no higher,
They grew till they tied a true-lovers' knot,
With the red rose a-hugging the briar, fa la la,
With the red rose a-hugging the briar, fa la le,
By the little Binory.