Till the sun was gaing down,

Till drops o blude frae Rose the Red
Cam trailing to the groun.

She leand her back against the wa,
Says, "Robin, let a' be;

For it is a lady born and bred
That's foughten sae well wi thee."

O seven foot he lap a back;
Says, "Alas, and wae is me!

I never wisht in a' my life,
A woman's blude to see;

An ae for the sake of ae fair maid
Whose name was White Lilly."

Then out it spake her White Lilly,
An a hearty laugh laugh she:

"She's lived wi you this year an mair,
Tho ye kenntna it was she."

Now word has gane thro a' the lan,
Before a month was done,

That Brown Robin's man, in good green wood,
Had born a bonny young son.

The word has gane to the kingis court,
An to the king himsel;

"Now, by my fay," the king could say,
"The like was never heard tell!"

Then out it spake him Bold Arthur,
An a hearty laugh laugh he:

"I trow some may has playd the loun,
And fled her ain country."

"Bring me my steed," then cry'd the king,
"My bow and arrows keen;

I'll ride mysel to good green wood,
An see what's to be seen."

"An't please your grace," said Bold Arthur,
"My liege, I'll gang you wi,

An try to fin a little foot-page,
That's strayd awa frae me."

O they've hunted i the good green wood
The buck but an the rae,

An they drew near Brown Robin's bowr,
About the close of day.

Then out it spake the king in hast,
Says, "Arthur look an see

Gin that be no your little foot-page
That leans against yon tree."

Then Arthur took his bugle-horn,
An blew a blast sae shrill;

Sweet Willy started at the sound,
An ran him quickly till.

"O wanted ye your meat, Willy?
Or wanted ye your fee?

Or gat ye ever an angry word,
That ye ran awa frae me?"

"I wanted nought, my master dear;
To me ye ay was good;

I came but to see my ae brother,
That wons in this green wood."

Then out it spake the king again,
Says, "Bonny boy, tell to me,

Wha lives into yon bigly bowr,
Stands by yon green oak tree?"

"Oh, pardon me," says Sweet Willie,
"My liege, I dare no tell;

An I pray you go no near that bowr,
For fear they do you fell."

"Oh, haud your tongue, my bonny boy,
For I winna be said nay;

But I will gang that bowr within,
Betide me weal or wae."

They've lighted off their milk-white steeds,
An saftly enterd in,

And there they saw her White Lilly,
Nursing her bonny young son.

"Now, by the rood," the king coud say,
"This is a comely sight;

I trow, instead of a forrester's man,
This is a lady bright!"

Then out it spake her, Rose the Red,
An fell low down on her knee:

"Oh, pardon us, my gracious liege,
An our story I'll tell thee.

"Our father was a wealthy lord,
That wond in Barnsdale;

But we had a wicked step-mother,
That wrought us meickle bale.

"Yet she had twa as fu fair sons
As ever the sun did see,

An the tane of them lood my sister dear,
An the tother said he lood me."

Then out it spake him Bold Arthur,
As by the king he stood:

"Now, by the faith o my body,
This shoud be Rose the Red!"

Then in it came him Brown Robin,
Frae hunting O the deer;

But whan he saw the king was there,
He started back for fear.

The king has taen him by the hand,
An bide him naithing dread;

Says, "Ye maun leave the good greenwood,
Come to the court wi speed."

Then up he took White Lilly's son,
An set him on his knee;

Says - "Gin ye live to wield a bran,
My bowman ye sall bee."

The king he sent for robes of green,
An girdles o shinning gold;

He gart the ladies be arrayd
Most comely to behold.

They've done them unto Mary kirk,
An there gat fair wedding,

An fan the news spread oer the lan,
For joy the bells did ring.

Then out it spake her Rose the Red,
An a hearty laugh laugh she:

"I wonder what would our step-dame say,
Gin she his sight did see!"

Ballad: The Battle Of Harlaw - Evergreen Version
(Child, vol. vii. Early Edition, Appendix.)

Frae Dunidier as I cam throuch,
Doun by the hill of Banochie,

Allangst the lands of Garioch.
Grit pitie was to heir and se

The noys and dulesum hermonie,
That evir that dreiry day did daw!

Cryand the corynoch on hie,
Alas! alas! for the Harlaw.

I marvlit what the matter meant;
All folks were in a fiery fariy:

I wist nocht wha was fae or freind,
Yet quietly I did me carrie.

But sen the days of auld King Hairy,
Sic slauchter was not hard nor sene,

And thair I had nae tyme to tairy,
For bissiness in Aberdene.

Thus as I walkit on the way,
To Inverury as I went,

I met a man, and bad him stay,
Requeisting him to mak me quaint

Of the beginning and the event
That happenit thair at the Harlaw;

Then he entreited me to tak tent,
And he the truth sould to me schaw.

Grit Donald of the Ysles did claim
Unto the lands of Ross sum richt,

And to the governour he came,
Them for to haif, gif that he micht,

Wha saw his interest was but slicht,
And thairfore answerit with disdain.

He hastit hame baith day and nicht,
And sent nae bodward back again.

But Donald richt impatient
Of that answer Duke Robert gaif,

He vow'd to God Omniyotent,
All the hale lands of Ross to half,

Or ells be graithed in his graif:
He wald not quat his richt for nocht,

Nor be abusit like a slaif;
That bargin sould be deirly bocht.

Then haistylie he did command
That all his weir-men should convene;

Ilk an well harnisit frae hand,
To melt and heir what he did mein.

He waxit wrath and vowit tein;
Sweirand he wald surpryse the North,

Subdew the brugh of Aberdene,
Mearns, Angus, and all Fyfe to Forth.

Thus with the weir-men of the yles,
Wha war ay at his bidding bown,

With money maid, with forss and wyls,
Richt far and neir, baith up and doun,

Throw mount and muir, frae town to town,
Allangst the lands of Ross he roars,

And all obey'd at his bandown,
Evin frae the North to Suthren shoars.

Then all the countrie men did yield;
For nae resistans durst they mak,

Nor offer batill in the feild,
Be forss of arms to beir him bak.

Syne they resolvit all and spak,
That best it was for thair behoif,

They sould him for thair chiftain tak,
Believing weil he did them luve.

Then he a proclamation maid,
All men to meet at Inverness,

Throw Murray land to mak a raid,
Frae Arthursyre unto Spey-ness.

And further mair, he sent express,
To schaw his collours and ensenzie,

To all and sindry, mair and less,
Throchout the bounds of Byne and Enzie.

And then throw fair Strathbogie land
His purpose was for to pursew,

And whatsoevir durst gainstand,
That race they should full sairly rew.

Then he bad all his men be trew,
And him defend by forss and slicht,

And promist them rewardis anew,
And mak them men of mekle micht.

Without resistans, as he said,
Throw all these parts he stoutly past,

• pardon [´pɑ:dən] n.&vt.原谅；饶恕；赦免 (初中英语单词)
• gracious [´greiʃəs] a.和蔼可亲的；任慈的 (初中英语单词)
• wealthy [´welθi] a.富有的；丰富的 (初中英语单词)
• wicked [´wikid] a.邪恶的；不道德的 (初中英语单词)
• wrought [rɔ:t] work 的过去式(分词) (初中英语单词)
• beginning [bi´giniŋ] n.开始，开端；起源 (初中英语单词)
• hearty [´hɑ:ti] a.热忱的；强健的 (高中英语单词)
• edition [i´diʃən] n.版本；很相似的 (高中英语单词)
• nought [nɔ:t] n.=naught (英语四级单词)
• comely [´kʌmli] a.秀丽的；文雅的 (英语四级单词)
• evergreen [´evəgri:n] a.常绿的，常青的 (英语四级单词)
• proclamation [,prɔklə´meiʃən] n.宣布；公告；声明 (英语四级单词)
• hunting [´hʌntiŋ] n.打猎 (英语六级单词)
• bowman [´bəumən] n.(弓箭)射手 (英语六级单词)