"And when thou had tane away my three ky,
Thou thought in thy heart thou was no well sped,150
But sent thy billie Willie o'er the know,
And he took three co'erlets aff my wife's bed."
Then Johnie let a spear fa' laigh by his thigh,
Thought weil to hae slain the innocent, I trow;
But the powers above were mair than he,155
For he ran but the poor fool's jerkin through.
Together they ran, or ever they blan,
This was Dickie the fool and he;
Dickie coud na win to him wi' the blade o' the sword,
But feld 'im wi' the plumet under the eie.160
Now Dickie has feld fair Johnie Armstrong,
The prettiest man in the south countrie;
"Gramercy!" then can Dickie say,
"I had but twa horse, thou has made me three."
He has tane the laird's jack aff his back,165
The twa-handed sword that hang by his thigh;
He has tane the steel cap aff his head—
"Johnie, I'll tell my master I met wi' thee."
When Johnie wakened out o' his dream,
I wat a drierie man was he:170
"And is thou gane, now, Dickie, than?
The shame gae in thy companie!
"And is thou gane, now, Dickie, than?
The shame gae in thy companie!
For if I should live this hundred years,175
I ne'er shall fight wi' a fool after thee."
Then Dickie's come hame to lord and master,
E'en as fast as he may drie;
"Now, Dickie, I'll neither eat nor drink,
Till hie hanged thou shalt be."180
"The shame speed the liars, my lord!" quo' Dickie;
"That was no the promise ye made to me!
For I'd ne'er gane t' Liddisdale t' steal,
Till I had got my leave at thee."