O Christ! it was a grief to see,
And likewise for to hear,
The cries of men lying in their gore,
And scatter'd here and there.120
At last these two stout earls did meet,
Like captains of great might;
Like [lions] mov'd they laid on load,
And made a cruel fight.
They fought until they both did sweat,125
With swords of temper'd steel;
Until the blood, like drops of rain,
They trickling down did feel.
"Yield thee, Lord Piercy," Douglas said;
"In faith I will thee bring,130
Where thou shalt high advanced be
By James, our Scottish king.
"Thy ransom I will freely give,
And thus report of thee,
Thou art the most couragious knight135
That ever I did see.
"[No], Douglas," quoth Earl Piercy then,
"Thy proffer I do scorn;
I will not yield to any Scot
That ever yet was born."140
With that, there came an arrow keen
Out of an English bow,
Which struck Earl Douglas to the heart,
A deep and deadly blow:
Who never spoke more words than these,145
"Fight on, my merry men all;
For why, my life is at an end,
Lord Piercy sees my fall."
Then leaving life, Earl Piercy took
The dead man by the hand;150
And said, "Earl Douglas, for thy life
Would I had lost my land!