‘The Otterbourne’s a bonnie burn; ‘Tis pleasant there to be; But there is nought at Otterbourne, To feed my men and me.
‘The deer rins wild on hill and dale, The birds fly wild from tree to tree; But there is neither bread nor kale, To fend[5] my men and me.
‘Yet I will stay at Otterbourne, Where you sall welcome be; And, if ye come not at three dayis end, A fause lord I’ll ca’ thee.’
‘Thither will I come,’ proud Percy said, ‘By the might of Our Ladye!’— ‘There will I bide thee,’ said the Douglas, ‘My trowth I plight to thee.’
They lighted high on Otterbourne, Upon the bent sae brown; They lighted high on Otterbourne, And threw their pallions down.
And he that had a bonnie boy, Sent out his horse to grass; And he that had not a bonnie boy, His ain servant he was.
But up then spake a little page, Before the peep of dawn— ‘O waken ye, waken ye, my good lord, For Percy’s hard at hand.’
‘Ye lie, ye lie, ye liar loud! Sae loud I hear ye lie: For Percy had not men yestreen, To dight my men and me.
‘But I hae dream’d a dreary dream, Beyond the Isle of Sky; I saw a dead man win a fight, And I think that man was I.’
He belted on his good braid sword, And to the field he ran; But he forgot the helmet good, That should have kept his brain.