He is hame to his lady gane,
As he had done before, O;
Says, "Madam I must go and fecht,
On the Dowie Downs o' Yarrow."
"Stay at hame, my Lord," she said,
"For that will breed much sorrow;
For my three brethren will slay thee,
On the Dowie Downs o' Yarrow."
"Hold your tongue, my lady fair;
For what needs a' this sorrow?
For I'll be hame gin' the clock strikes nine,
From the Dowie Downs o' Yarrow."
He wush his face, and she combed his hair,
As she had done before, O;
She dressed him up in his armour clear,
Sent him forth to fecht on Yarrow.
"Come ye here to hawk or hound,
Or drink the wine that's sae clear, O;
Or come ye here to eat in your words,
That you're not the Rose o' Yarrow?"
"I came not here to hawk or hound,
Nor to drink the wine that's sae clear, O;
Nor came I here to eat in my words,
For I'm still the Rose o' Yarrow."
Then they all begud to fecht,
I wad they focht richt sore, O;
Till a cowardly man cam' behind his back,
And pierced his body thorough.
"Gae hame, gae hame, its my man John,
As ye have done before, O:
An tell it to my gaye ladye
That I soundly sleep on Yarrow."
His man John he has gane hame,
As he had done before, O;
And told it to his gay ladye.
That he soundly slept on Yarrow.
"I dreamed a dream, now since the 'streen,[164]
God keep us a' frae sorrow!
That my lord and I was pu'ing the heather green,
From the Dowie Downs o' Yarrow."