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Home  »  The Oxford Book of Ballads  »  26. Proud Lady Margaret

Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. (1863–1944). The Oxford Book of Ballads. 1910.

26

26. Proud Lady Margaret

I

FAIR Margret was a proud ladye,

The King’s cousin was she;

Fair Margret was a rich ladye,

An’ vain as vain cou’d be.

II

Ae night she sat in her stately ha’

Kaimin’ her yellow hair,

When in there cam’ a gentle Knight,

An’ a white scarf he did wear.

III

‘O what ’s your will wi’ me, Sir Knight?

O what’s your will wi’ me?

You’re the likest to my ae brither

That ever I did see.

IV

‘You’re the likest to my ae brither

That ever I hae seen;

But he’s buried in Dunfermline kirk

A month an’ mair bygane.’—

V

‘I’m the likest to your ae brither

That ever ye did see;

But I canna get rest in my grave,

A’ for the pride o’ thee.

VI

‘Leave pride, Margret, leave pride, Margret,

Leave pride an’ vanity;

Cou’d ye see the sights that I hae seen

Sair warnèd ye wou’d be.

VII

‘For the wee worms are my bedfellows,

An’ cauld clay is my sheets,

An’ when the stormy winds do blow

My body lies and sleeps.

VIII

‘O ye come in at the kirk-door

Wi’ the red gowd on your crown;

But when you come where I have been.

You’ll wear it laigher down.

IX

‘O ye come in at the kirk-door

Wi’ the gowd prins i’ your sleeve,

But when you come where I have been

Ye maun gie them a’ their leave.

X

‘Leave pride, Margret, leave pride, Margret,

Leave pride an’ vanity;

Ere ye see the sights that I hae seen,

Sair alter’d ye maun be.’

XI

He got her in her stately ha’,

Kaimin’ her yellow hair;

He left her on her sick, sick bed

Mournin’ her sins sae sair.


laigher] lower.prins] pins.