Why dois your brand sae drap wi' bluid,
Edward, Edward?
Why dois your brand sae drap wi' bluid?
And why sae sad gang ye, O?
O, I hae killed my hauke sae guid,
Mither, mither,
O, I hae killed my hauke sae guid,
And I had nae mair bot hee, O.
Your haukis bluid was nevir sae reid,
Edward, Edward,
Your haukis bluid was nevir sae reid,
My deir son I tell thee, O.
O, I hae killed my reid-roan steid,
Mither, mither,
O, I hae killed my reid-roan steid,
That erst was sae fair and frie, O.
Your steid was auld, and ye hae gat mair,
Edward, Edward,
Your steid was auld, and ye hae gat mair,
Sum other dule ye drie, O.
O, I hae killed my fadir deir,
Mither, mither,
O, I hae killed my fadir deir,
Alas, and wae is mee, O.
And whatten penance wul ye drie for that,
Edward, Edward?
And whatten penance will ye drie for that?
My deir son, now tell me, O.
Ile set my feit in yonder boat,
Mither, mither,
Il set my feit in yonder boat,
And Ile fare ovir the sea, O.
And what wul ye doe wi' your towirs and your ha',
Edward, Edward?
And what wul ye doe wi' your towirs and your ha',
That were sae fair to see, O?
Ile let thame stand tul they doun fa',
Mither, mither,
Ile let thame stand tul they doun fa',
For here nevir mair maun I bee, O.
And what wul ye leive to your bairns and your wife,
Edward, Edward?
And what wul ye leive to your bairns and your wife,
Whan ye gang ovir the sea, O?
The warldis room, late them beg thrae life,
Mither, mither,
The warldis room, let them beg thrae life,
For thame nevir mair wul I see, O.
And what wul ye leive to your ain mither deir,
Edward, Edward?
And what wul ye leive to your ain mither deir?
My deir son, now tell mee, O.
The curse of hell frae me sall ye beir,
Mither, mither,
The curse of hell frae me sall ye beir,
Sic counseils ye gave to me, O.
Notes
NOTES
Form:
abacadac
1.
In 1765, Thomas Percy, later Bishop of Dromore, published in three
volumes his collection of "old heroic ballads, songs and other pieces
of our earlier poets together with some few of later date," under the
title Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, The edition contained,
in addition to a dedication to the Countess of Northumberland and a
preface, an "Essay on the Ancient English Minstrels" which was, in
part, responsible for the increasing interest in the ballad and minstrel
literature of the past. It encouraged one poet at least, James Beattie
(1735-1803), to write one of the century's best poems in the Spenserian
stanza, The Minstrel (1771-74). Percy collected his materials
from old manuscripts, from English and Scottish correspondents, from
earlier printings of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century ballads, from
the archives of various antiquarian societies, and from earlier collections
of ballads, especially the Pepys collection, "near 2000 in number, which
he has left pasted in five volumes in folio," in the Library of Magdalen
College, Cambridge. The text of this ballad is based upon that of the first
edition of the Reliques. According to Percy's description, the
poem is "a Scottish ballad," and was obtained "from a MS. copy transmitted
from Scotland." In a version recorded in Scotland some years later, and
in an analogous Scandinavian ballad, a brother, not a father, has been
murdered. Noteworthy in the version here given is the use of repetition
to produce suspense, and the withholding of the mother's guilt until the
close to effect surprise and shock.
"Why does your sword so drop with blood?"
4.
gang: walk.
5.
guid: good.
8.
nae mair bot: no more but, none but.
16.
erst: formerly.
17.
auld: old.
20.
"Some other grief you are enduring."
24.
wae: woe.
25.
whatten: what kind of.
33.
ha': hall.
37.
fa': fall.
40.
maun: must.
45.
The warldis room: the world's large.
late: let. thrae: through.
49.
ain: own.
53.
frae: from.
sall: shall.
heir: bear.
56.
Sic: such.
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Comments
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does anyone know what the word 'sae' used in this means- its probably something really simple, but for the life of me i can't figure it out. :[
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Wait, did she tell him to kill his father? What a dummy. Who would actually listen to that? Interesting ballad/poem though. At one time, I think, this was also called "Son Davie, Son Davie". Useless information.....I know.
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I really like this poem, me and my English teacher have been trying to find it's song but no luck so far. If you have it can you please send it or at least show me where to get it?
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely, Emilio.
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