"O whare is a' my merry young men,65
Wham I gi'e meat and fee,
To pu' the bracken and the thorn,
To burn this vile whore wi'?"
"O whare will I get a bonny boy,
To help me in my need,70
To rin wi' haste to Lord William,
And bid him come wi' speed?"
O out it spak a bonny boy,
Stood by her brother's side;
"It's I wad rin your errand, lady,75
O'er a' the warld wide.
"Aft ha'e I run your errands, lady,
When blawin baith wind and weet;
But now I'll rin your errand, lady,
With saut tears on my cheek."80
O whan he came to broken briggs,
He bent his bow and swam;
And whan he came to the green grass growin',
He slack'd his shoon and ran.
And when he came to Lord William's yeats,85
He badena to chap or ca';
But set his bent bow to his breast,
And lightly lap the wa';
And, or the porter was at the yeat,
The boy was in the ha'.90
"O is my biggins broken, boy?
Or is my towers won?
Or is my lady lighter yet,
O' a dear daughter or son?"
"Your biggin isna broken, sir,95
Nor is your towers won;
But the fairest lady in a' the land
This day for you maun burn."
"O saddle to me the black, the black,
Or saddle to me the brown;100
Or saddle to me the swiftest steed
That ever rade frae a town."