Thomas Percy (1729–1811)

It fell about the Martinmas,

Quhen the wind blew shril and cauld,

Said Edom O’ Gordon to his men,

"We maun draw till a hauld.

"And quhat a hauld sall we draw till,

My mirry men and me?

We wul gae to the house o’ the Rodes,

To see that fair ladìe."

The lady stude on her castle wa’,

Beheld baith dale and down:

There she was ware of a host of men

Cum ryding towards the toun.

"O see ze nat, my mirry men a’?

O see ze nat quhat I see?

Methinks I see a host of men:

I marveil quha they be."

She weend it had been hir luvely lord,

As he cam ryding hame;

It was the traitor Edom O’ Gordon,

Quha reckt nae sin nor shame.

She had nae sooner buskit hirsel,

And putten on hir goun,

But Edom O’ Gordon and his men

Were round about the toun.

They had nae sooner supper sett,

Nae sooner said the grace,

But Edom O’ Gordon and his men

Were light about the place.

The lady ran up to hir towir head,

Sa fast as she could hie,

To see if by hir fair speeches

She could wi’ him agree.

But quhan he see this lady saif,

And hir yates all locked fast,

He fell into a rage of wrath,

And his look was all aghast.

"Cum doun to me, ze lady gay,

Cum doun, cum doun to me:

This night sall ye lig within mine armes,

To-morrow my bride sall be."

"I winnae cum doun ze fals Gordon,

I winnae cum doun to thee;

I winna forsake my ain dear lord,

That is sae far frae me."

"Give owre zour house, ze lady fair,

Give owre zour house to me,

Or I sall brenn yoursel therein,

Bot and zour babies three."

"I winnae give owre, ze false Gordon,

To nae sik traitor as zee;

And if ze brenn my ain dear babes,

My lord sall make ze drie."

"But reach me hither my guid bend-bowe

Mine arrows one by one

For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher,

My babes we been undone."

She stude upon hir castle wa’,

And let twa arrows flee;

She mist that bluidy butchers hart,

And only raz’d his knee.

"Set fire to the house," quo’ fals Gordon,

All wood wi’ dule and ire:

"Fals lady, ze sall rue this deid,

As ze bren in the fire."

"Wae worth, wae worth ze, Jock my man,

I paid ze weil zour fee;

Quhy pow ze out the ground-wa’ stane,

Lets in the reek to me?

"And ein wae worth ze, Jock my man,

I paid ze weil zour hire;

Quhy pow ze out the ground-wa’ stane,

To me lets in the fire?"

"ze paid me weil my hire, lady;

ze paid me weil my fee:

But now I’m Edom O’ Gordons man,

Maun either doe or die."

O than bespaik hir little son,

Sate on the nourice’ knee:

Sayes, "Mither deare, gi’ owre this house,

For the reek it smithers me."

"I wad gie a’ my gowd, my childe,

Say wad I a’ my fee,

For ane blast o’ the westlin wind,

To blaw the reek frae thee."

O then bespaik hir dochter dear,

She was baith jimp and sma:

"O row me in a pair o’ sheits,

And tow me owre the wa."

Thuy rowed hir in a pair o’ sheits,

And towd hir owre the wa:

But on the point of Gordons spear

She gat a deadly fa.

O bonnie bonnie was hir mouth,

And cherry were her cheiks,

And clear clear was hir zellow hair,

Whereon the reid bluid dreips.

Then wi’ his spear he turnd hir owre,

O gin[2] hir face was wan!

He sayd, "ze are the first that eir

I wisht alive again."

He turnd hir owre and owre againe,

O gin’ hir skin was white!

"I might ha spared that bonnie face

To hae been sum mans delyte.

"Busk and boun, my merry men a’,

For ill dooms I doe guess;

I cannae luik in that bonnie face,

As it lyes on the grass.

"Thame luiks to freits, my master deir,

Then freits wil follow thame: [3]

Let neir be said brave Edom O’ Gordon

Was daunted by a dame."

But quhen the ladye see the fire

Cum flaming owre hir head,

She wept and kist her children twain,

Sayd, "Bairns, we been but dead."

The Gordon then his bougill blew,

And said, "Awa’, awa’;

This house o’ the Rodes is a’ in flame,

I hauld it time to ga’."

O then he spyed hir ain dear lord,

As hee cam owr the lee;

He sied his castle all in blaze

Sa far as he could see.

Then sair, O sair his mind misgave,

And all his hart was wae;

"Put on, put on, my wighty men,

So fast as ze can gae.

"Put on, put on, my wighty men,

Sa fast as ze can drie;

For he that is hindmost of the thrang

Sall neir get guid o’ me."

Than sum they rade, and sum they rin,

Fou fast out-owr the bent;

But eir the foremost could get up,

Baith lady and babes were brent.

He wrang his hands, he rent his hair,

And wept in teenefu’ muid:

"O traitors, for this cruel deid

ze sall weep teirs o’ bluid."

And after the Gordon he is gane,

Sa fast as he might drie.

And soon i’ the Gordon’s foul hartis bluid

He’s wroken his dear ladìe.