The first word that Sir Patrick read
So loud loud laughed he;
The neist word that Sir Patrick read
The tear blinded his e’e.
‘O wha is this has done this deed
And tauld the king o’ me,
To send us out, at this time o’ year,
To sail upon the sea?
‘Be it wind, be it weet, be it hail, be it sleet,
Our ship must sail the faem;
The king’s daughter o’ Noroway
’Tis we must fetch her hame.’
They hoysed their sails on Monenday morn,
Wi’ a’ the speed they may;
They hae landed in Noroway
Upon a Wodensday.
They hadna been a week, a week,
In Noroway but twae,
When that the lords o’ Noroway
Began aloud to say:
‘Ye Scottishmen spend a’ our king’s goud,
And a’ our queenis fee.’
‘Ye lee, ye lee, ye liars loud!
Fu’ loud I hear ye lee.
‘For I have brought as much white monie
As gane my men and me,
And I hae brought a half-fou of gude red gould
Out o’er the sea wi’ me.
‘Make ready, make ready, my merry men a’!
Our good ship sails the morn.’
‘Now ever alack, my master dear,
I fear a deadly storm.
‘I saw the new moon late yestreen
Wi’ the auld moon in her arm;
And if we gang to sea, master,
I fear we’ll come to harm.’
They hadna sailed a league, a league,
A league but barely three,
When the lift grew dark, and the wind blew loud,
And gurly grew the sea.