Eleven of the nineteen stanzas of Herd's version are spurious, and many of the others have been tampered with. The metre is disturbed or changed.
Stanza 4 is omitted in Herd's printed copy.
After 1 follow:
'Sen ye winnae gie me my guerdon, lord,
Sen ye winnae gie me my hyre,
Yon proud castle, sae stately built,
I sall gar reck wi the fyre.
'Sen ye winna gie me my wages, lord,
Ye sall hae caus to rue:'
And syne he brewed a black revenge,
And syne he vowed a vow.
'Now byde at hame, my luve, my lyfe,
I warde ye byde at hame;
Oh gang nae to this day's hunting,
To leave me a' my lane.
'Yestrene, yestrene, I dreamt my bower
Of red, red blude was fu;
Gin ye gang to this black hunting,
I sall hae caus to rue.'
'Wha looks to dreams, my winsome dame?
Ye hae nae caus to feare:'
And syne he's kist her comely cheik,
And syne the starting teare.
And syne he's gane to the good greene wode,
And she to her painted bowir,
And she's gard steck doors, windows, yates,
Of castle, ha and tower.
After 8 follow these five stanzas, found also in Herd's MSS, II, 97: