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Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard

No: 81; variant: 81F

  1. 'I HAVE a tower in Dalisberry, Which now is dearly dight, And I will gie it to Young Musgrave, To lodge wi me a' night.'
  2. 'To lodge wi thee a' night, fair lady, Wad breed baith sorrow and strife; For I see by the rings on your fingers You're good Lord Barnaby's wife.'
  3. 'Lord Barnaby's wife although I be, Yet what is that to thee? For we'll beguile him for this ae night, He's on to fair Dundee.
  4. 'Come here, come here, my little foot-page, This gold I will give thee, If ye will keep thir secrets close 'Tween Young Musgrave and me.
  5. 'But here I hae a little pen-knife, Hings low down by my gare; Gin ye winna keep thir secrets close, Ye'll find it wonder sair.'
  6. Then she's taen him to her chamber, And down in her arms lay he; The boy coost aff his hose and shoon, And ran to fair Dundee.
  7. When he cam to the wan water, He slackd his bow and swam, And when he cam to growin grass, Set down his feet and ran.
  8. And when he cam to fair Dundee, Wad neither chap nor ca, But set his braid bow to his breast, And merrily jumpd the wa.
  9. 'O waken ye, waken ye, my good lord, Waken, and come away!' 'What ails, what ails my wee foot-page, He cries sae lang ere day?
  10. 'O is my bowers brent, my boy? Or is my castle won? Or has the lady that I loe best Brought me a daughter or son?'
  11. 'Your ha's are safe, your bowers are safe, And free frae all alarms, But, oh! the lady that ye loe best Lies sound in Musgrave's arms.'
  12. 'Gae saddle to me the black,' he cried, 'Gae saddle to me the gray; Gae saddle to me the swiftest steed, To hie me on my way.'
  13. 'O lady, I heard a wee horn toot, And it blew wonder clear; And ay the turning o the note, Was, Barnaby will be here!
  14. 'I thought I heard a wee horn blaw, And it blew loud and high; And ay at ilka turn it said, Away, Musgrave, away!'
  15. 'Lie still, my dear, lie still, my dear, Ye keep me frae the cold; For it is but my father's shepherds, Driving their flocks to the fold.'
  16. Up they lookit, and down they lay, And they're fa'en sound asleep; Till up stood good Lord Barnaby, Just close at their bed-feet.
  17. 'How do you like my bed, Musgrave? And how like ye my sheets? And how like ye my fair lady, Lies in your arms and sleeps?'
  18. 'Weel like I your bed, my lord, And weel like I your sheets, But ill like I your fair lady, Lies in my arms and sleeps.
  19. 'You got your wale o se'en sisters, And I got mine o five; Sae tak ye mine, and I's tak thine, And we nae mair sall strive.'
  20. 'O my woman's the best woman That ever brak world's bread, And your woman's the worst woman That ever drew coat oer head.
  21. 'I hae twa swords in ae scabbert, They are baith sharp and clear; Tak ye the best, and I the warst, And we'll end the matter here.
  22. 'But up, and arm thee, Young Musgrave, We'll try it han to han; It's neer be said o Lord Barnaby, He strack at a naked man.'
  23. The first straik that Young Musgrave got, It was baith deep and sair, And down he fell at Barnaby's feet, And word spak never mair.

  1. 'A grave, a grave,' Lord Barnaby cried, 'A grave to lay them in; My lady shall lie on the sunny side, Because of her noble kin.'
  2. But oh, how sorry was that good lord, For a' his angry mood, Whan he beheld his ain young son All weltring in his blood!