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Andrew Lang - The Douglas Tragedy
Work rating: Medium

"Rise up, rise up now, Lord Douglas," she says,
"And put on your armour so bright;
Let it never be said that a daughter of thine
Was married to a lord under night.

"Rise up, rise up, my seven bold sons,
And put on your armour so bright,
And take better care of your youngest sister,
For your eldest`s awa the last night."--

He`s mounted her on a milk-white steed,
And himself on a dapple grey,
With a bugelet horn hung down by his side,
And lightly they rode away.

Lord William lookit o`er his left shoulder,
To see what he could see,
And there be spy`d her seven brethren bold,
Come riding o`er the lee.

"Light down, light down, Lady Marg`ret," he said,
"And hold my steed in your hand,
Until that against your seven brothers bold,
And your father I make a stand."--

She held his steed in her milk white hand,
And never shed one tear,
Until that she saw her seven brethren fa`,
And her father hard fighting, who loved her so dear.

"O hold your hand, Lord William!" she said,
"For your strokes they are wondrous sair;
True lovers I can get many a ane,
But a father I can never get mair."--

O she`s ta`en out her handkerchief,
It was o` the holland sae fine,
And aye she dighted her father`s bloody wounds,
That were redder than the wine.

"O chuse, O chuse, Lady Marg`ret," he said,
"O whether will ye gang or bide?"
"I`ll gang, I`ll gang, Lord William," she said,
"For ye have left me no other guide."--

He`s lifted her on a milk-white steed,
And himself on a dapple grey.
With a bugelet horn hung down by his side,
And slowly they baith rade away.

O they rade on, and on they rade,
And a` by the light of the moon,
Until they came to yon wan water,
And there they lighted down.

They lighted down to tak a drink
Of the spring that ran sae clear:
And down the stream ran his gude heart`s blood,
And sair she `gan to fear.

"Hold up, hold up, Lord William," she says,
"For I fear that you are slain!"
"`Tis naething but the shadow of my scarlet cloak
That shines in the water sae plain."

O they rade on, and on they rade,
And a` by the light of the moon,
Until they cam to his mother`s ha` door,
And there they lighted down.

"Get up, get up, lady mother," he says,
"Get up, and let me in!--
Get up, get up, lady mother," he says,
"For this night my fair ladye I`ve win.

"O mak my bed, lady mother," he says,
"O mak it braid and deep!
And lay Lady Marg`ret close at my back,
And the sounder I will sleep."--

Lord William was dead lang ere midnight,
Lady Marg`ret lang ere day--
And all true lovers that go thegither,
May they have mair luck than they!

Lord William was buried in St. Marie`s kirk,
Lady Margaret in Marie`s quire;
Out o` the lady`s grave grew a bonny red rose,
And out o` the knight`s a brier.

And they twa met, and they twa plat,
And fain they wad be near;
And a` the warld might ken right weel,
They were twa lovers dear.

But by and rade the Black Douglas,
And wow but he was rough!
For he pull`d up the bonny brier,
An flang`t in St. Marie`s Loch.
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