Rise Ye Up- Mrs. Lee Stephens (Missouri) 1928;
[From Ozark Folksongs, Randolph- Volume I Ballads, from the section British Ballads and Songs. Randolph reports that, "Mrs. Stephens said it's sometimes known as "Lady Margaret" and has been sung in her family for more than one hundred years." This is not always an accurate gauge of the age but in this case I'll use her statement.
R. Matteson 2014]
RISE YE UP- Mrs. Lee Stephens (White Rock, Missouri) Oct. 5, 1928 dating back through her family to circa 1828.
Rise ye up, rise ye up, ye drowsy old cheerls,
Or are you all asleep?
Arise an' take keer of your oldest daughter dear,
For th' young€st I'll carry with me.
Rise ye up, rise ye up, ye seven sons so bold,
An' put on your armour so bright,
For it never shall be said that a daughter of mine
Was wed to a lord of a [k]night!
Light ye down, light ye down, Lady Margaret, he said,
An' hold my steed's bridle in your hand,
Till I go an' fight your seven brothers bold,
For in yonder green meadow they stand.
She held his steed's bridle all in her hand,
An' not one tear did she shed,
Till she seen her seven bold brothers fall
An' her father she loved most dear.
Light your hand, light your hand, sweet William, she said,
For your licks are so wonderful sore,
An' I can get sweethearts a many a one,
But a father I can never get more.
She pulled out her pocket silk handkerchief
All made of Holland so fine,
An' she wiped her father's bleedin' wound
That bled more redder than wine.
You can have your choice, Lady Margaret, he said,
You can go along with me or stay,
I will go with you, sweet William, she said,
For you've left me without any guide.
He mounted her up on the milk white steed,
An' his self on the dapple gray,
An' he blowed his bugle both loud an' shrill,
An' bleedin' he rode away
He rode till he come to his mother's coach hall,
An' he tingled so low at the ring,
An' who was so ready as the old queen herself
To rise an' invite them in.
Bind my head, bind my head, to his sister, he said,
Which you never shall bind no more;
For I will die of the wounds I've received,
An' my face you'll never see no more.
Sweet William he died just about midnight,
Lady Margaret not long before day;
God send all true lovers that ever gets together
May see more pleasure than they!