4 'For I hae seven bauld brethren,
Bauld are they, and very rude;
And if they find ye in bouer wi me,
They winna care to spill your blude.'
5 'Ye'll tak a lang claith in your hand,
Ye'll haud it up afore your een,
That ye may swear, and save your aith,
That ye saw na Sandy sin yestreen.
6 'And ye'll tak me in your arms twa,
Ye'll carry me into your bed,
That ye may swear, and save your aith,
That in your bour-floor I never gaed.'
7 She's taen a lang claith in her hand,
She's hauden 't up afore her een,
That she might swear, and save her aith,
That she saw na Sandy sin yestreen.
8 She has taen him in her arms twa,
And carried him into her bed,
That she might swear, and save her aith,
That on her bour-floor he never gaed.
9 Then in there cam her firsten brother,
Bauldly he cam steppin in:
'Come here, come here, see what I see!
We hae only but ae sister alive,
And a knave is in bour her wi.'
10 Then in and cam her second brother,
Says, Twa lovers are ill to twin;
And in and cam her thirden brother,
'O brother dear, I say the same.'
11 Then in and cam her fourthen brother,
'It's a sin to kill a sleepin man;'
And in and cam her fifthen brother,
'O brother dear, I say the same.'
12 Then in and cam her sixthen brother,
'I wat he's neer be steerd by me;'
But in and cam her seventhen brother,
'I bear the hand that sall gar him dee.'
13 Then out he drew a nut-brown sword,
I wat he stript it to the stroe,
And thro and thro Clerk Saunders' body
I wat he garrd cauld iron go.