His mother, she call'd to her waiting-maid:
"O bring me a pint of wine,
For I dinna weel ken what hour of this day
That my son Earl Robert shall dine."
She's put it to her fause, fause cheek,
But an' her fause, fause chin;10
She's put it to her fause, fause lips;
But never a drap went in.
But he's put it to his bonny cheek,
Aye and his bonny chin;
He's put it to his red rosy lips,15
And the poison went merrily down.
"O where will I get a bonny boy,
That will win hose and shoon,—
That will gang quickly to Sittingen's rocks,
And bid my lady come?"20
It's out then speaks a bonny boy,
To Earl Robert was something akin:
"Many a time have I run thy errand,
But this day with the tears I'll rin."
O when he cam to Sittingen's rocks,25
To the middle of a' the ha',
There were bells a ringing, and music playing,
And ladies dancing a'.
"What news, what news, my bonny boy,
What news have ye to me?30
Is Earl Robert in very good health,
And the ladies of your countrie?"
"O Earl Robert's in very good health,
And as weel as a man can be;
But his mother this night has a drink to be druken,35
And at it you must be."