THE LYKE-WAKE DIRGE

This ae night, this ae night,
Every night and all,

Fire and fleet and candle-light,
And Christ receive thy saule !

When thou from hence away art past,
Every night and all

To Whinny-muir thou comest at last;
And Christ receive thy saule!

If ever thou gavest hosen and shoon,
Every night and all

Sit thee down and put them on;

And Christ receive thy saule!

But if hosen and shoon thou never gave none Every night and all

The Whins shall prick thee to the bare bone; And Christ receive thy saule !

From Whinny-muir when thou mayst pass
Every night and all

To Brig o' Dread thou comest at last;
And Christ receive thy saule!

From Brig o' Dread when thou mayst pas
Every night and all

To Purgatory fire thou comest at last;

And Christ receive thy saule !

IO

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If ever thou gavest milk or drink,

Every night and all

The fire shall never make thee shrink;

And Christ receive thy saule!

But if milk nor drink thou never gave none,

Every night and all

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The fire shall burn thee to the bare bone;

And Christ receive thy saule!

This ae night, this ae night,
Every night and all,

Fire and fleet and candle-light,
And Christ receive thy saule !

THE DEMON LOVER

"O whare hae ye been, my dearest dear,
These seven lang years and more?"
"O I am come to seek my former vows,
That ye promised me before.”

"Awa' wi' your former vows," she says,
"Or else ye will breed strife;
Awa' wi' your former vows," she says,
"For I'm become a wife.

"I am married to a ship-carpenter,
A ship-carpenter he's bound;

I wadna he ken'd my mind this nicht
For twice five hundred pound."

ΙΟ

She has put her foot on gude ship-board,
And on ship-board she's gane,

And the veil that hung o'er her face
Was a' wi' gowd begane.

She had na sailed a league, a league,

A league but barely twa,

Till she did mind on the husband she left,
And her wee young son alsua.

"O haud your tongue, my dearest dear,
Let all your follies a-be;

I'll show whare the white lillies grow,
On the banks of Italie."

She had na sailed a league, a league,
A league but barely three,

Till grim, grim grew his countenance,
And gurly grew the sea.

"O haud your tongue, my dearest dear,
Let all your follies a-be;

I'll show whare the white lillies grow,
In the bottom of the sea."

He's ta'en her by the milk-white hand,
And he's thrown her in the main;
And full five-and-twenty hundred ships
Perish'd all on the coast of Spain.

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FAIR HELEN OF KIRCONNELL

I wish I were where Helen lies,
Night and day on me she cries,

O that I were where Helen lies,
On fair Kirconnell Lee!

Curst be the heart that thought the thought,
And curst the hand that fired the shot,
When in my arms burd Helen dropt,
And died to succour me.

O think na ye my heart was sair,

When my love dropt down and spak nae mair? 10 There did she swoon wi' meikle care,

On fair Kirconnell Lee.

As I went down the water side,
None but my foe to be my guide,
None but my foe to be my guide,
On fair Kirconnell Lee.

I lighted down, my sword did draw,
I hacked him in pieces sma',

I hacked him in pieces sma',

For her sake that died for me.

O Helen fair, beyond compare,
I'll make a garland of thy hair,
Shall bind my heart for evermair,
Untill the day I die.

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O that I were where Helen lies,
Night and day on me she cries,
Out of my bed she bids me rise,
Says, "Haste, and come to me!"

O Helen fair! O Helen chaste!
If I were with thee I were blest,

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Where thou lies low, and takes thy rest,
On fair Kirconnell Lee.

I wish my grave were growing green,
A winding-sheet drawn ower. my e'en
And I in Helen's arms lying

On fair Kirconnell Lee.

I wish I were where Helen lies,
Night and day on me she cries,
And I am weary of the skies,

For her sake that died for me.

THE BONNY EARL OF MURRAY

Ye Highlands and ye Lawlands,

Oh! where have you been?

They have slain the Earl of Murray,
And they lay'd him on the green!

Now wae be to thee, Huntly,
And wherefore did you sae?
I bade you bring him wi' you,
But forbade you him to slay.

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