"I winna light, I darena light,
Nor come to your arms at a';
A fairer maid than ten o' you15
I'll meet at Castle-law."—
"A fairer maid than me, Willie!
A fairer maid than me!
A fairer maid than ten o' me
Your eyes did never see."—20
He louted ower his saddle lap,
To kiss her ere they part,
And wi' a little keen bodkin,
She pierced him to the heart.
"Ride on, ride on, Lord William now,25
As fast as ye can dree!
Your bonny lass at Castle-law
Will weary you to see."
Out up then spake a bonny bird,
Sat high upon a tree,—30
"How could you kill that noble lord?
He came to marry thee."—
"Come down, come down, my bonny bird,
And eat bread aff my hand!
Your cage shall be of wiry goud,35
Whar now it's but the wand."—
"Keep ye your cage o' goud, lady,
And I will keep my tree;
As ye hae done to Lord William,
Sae wad ye do to me."—40
She set her foot on her door step,
A bonny marble stane,
And carried him to her chamber,
O'er him to make her mane.
And she has kept that good lord's corpse45
Three quarters of a year,
Until that word began to spread;
Then she began to fear.