X:1
T:The Earl of Mar's Daughter
S:Traditional (Buchan); perhaps modified by Christie.
B:Christie's Traditional Ballad Airs, vol.II, 1881.
Z:Child 270 Roud 3879
F: http://www.folkinfo.org/songs
L:1/8
Q:100
M:2/4
K:F
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w:It_ was in-till_ a_ plea_sant_ time, Up_on a sim-mer's_ day, The_
{B}A(G3/4A/4) c(G3/4A/4)|{G}FD C(F3/4G/4)|{B}A(G3/4A/4) c{A}(G3/4F/4)|F2 z (F3/4G/4)|
w:no-ble_ Earl of_ Mar's daugh-ter Went_ forth to_ sport and_ play. As_
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w:thus she_ did a_muse her-sell Be_low a_ green aik_ tree, There_
{B}A(G3/4A/4) (c3/4A/4)(G3/4A/4)|(F/4A3/4)(D3/4C/4) C(F3/4G/4)|A(G3/4A/4) (c3/4B/4)(G3/4F/4)|F2 z|]
w:she did_ see_ a_ spright_ly_ doo Set_ on a_ tow'r_ sae_ hie.
W:
W:It was intill a pleasant time,
W:Upon a simmer's day,
W:The noble Earl of Mar's daughter
W:Went forth to sport and play.
W:
W:As thus she did amuse hersell,
W:Below a green aik tree,
W:There she saw a sprightly doo
W:Set on a tower sae hie.
W:
W:"O Cow-me-doo, my love sae true,
W:If ye'll come down to me,
W:Ye'se hae a cage o guid red gowd
W:Instead o simple tree:
W:
W:"I'll put gowd hingers roun your cage,
W:And siller roun your wa;
W:I'll gar ye shine as fair a bird
W:As ony o them a'."
W:
W:But she hadnae these words well spoke,
W:Nor yet these words well said,
W:Till Cow-me-doo flew frae the tower
W:And lighted on her head.
W:
W:Then she has brought this pretty bird
W:Hame to her bowers and ha,
W:And made him shine as fair a bird
W:As ony o them a'.
W:
W:When day was gane, and night was come,
W:About the evening tide,
W:This lady spied a sprightly youth
W:Stand straight up by her side.
W:
W:"From whence came ye, young man?" she said;
W:"That does surprise me sair;
W:My door was bolted right secure,
W:What way hae ye come here?"
W:
W:"O had your tongue, ye lady fair,
W:Lat a' your folly be;
W:Mind ye not on your turtle-doo
W:Last day ye brought wi thee?"
W:
W:"O tell me mair, young man," she said,
W:"This does surprise me now;
W:What country hae ye come frae?
W:What pedigree are you?"
W:
W:"My mither lives on foreign isles,
W:She has nae mair but me;
W:She is a queen o wealth and state,
W:And birth and high degree.
W:
W:"Likewise well skilld in magic spells,
W:As ye may plainly see,
W:And she transformd me to yon shape.
W:To charm such maids as thee.
W:
W:"I am a doo the live-lang day,
W:A sprightly youth at night;
W:This aye gars me appear mair fair
W:In a fair maiden's sight.
W:
W:"And it was but this verra day
W:That I came ower the sea;
W:Your lovely face did me enchant;
W:I'll live and dee wi thee."
W:
W:"O Cow-me-doo, my luve sae true,
W:Nae mair frae me ye'se gae;"
W:"That's never my intent, my luve,
W:As ye said, it shall be sae."
W:
W:"O Cow-me-doo, my luve sae true,
W:It's time to gae to bed;"
W:"Wi a' my heart, my dear marrow,
W:It's be as ye hae said."
W:
W:Then he has staid in bower wi her
W:For sax lang years and ane,
W:Till sax young sons to him she bare,
W:And the seventh she's brought hame.
W:
W:But aye as ever a child was born
W:He carried them away,
W:And brought them to his mither's care,
W:As fast as he coud fly.
W:
W:Thus he has staid in bower wi her
W:For twenty years and three;
W:There came a lord o high renown
W:To court this fair ladie.
W:
W:But still his proffer she refused,
W:And a' his presents too;
W:Says, "I'm content to live alane
W:Wi my bird, Cow-me-doo."
W:
W:Her father sware a solemn oath
W:Amang the nobles all,
W:"The morn, or ere I eat or drink,
W:This bird I will gar kill."
W:
W:The bird was sitting in his cage.
W:And heard what they did say;
W:And when he found they were dismist,
W:Says, "Wae's me for this day!
W:
W:"Before that I do langer stay,
W:And thus to be forlorn,
W:I'll gang unto my mither's bower,
W:Where I was bred and born."
W:
W:Then Cow-me-doo took flight and flew
W:Beyond the raging sea,
W:And lighted near his mither's castle.
W:On a tower o gowd sae hie.
W:
W:As his mither was wauking out,
W:To see what she coud see,
W:And there she saw her little son,
W:Set on the tower sae hie.
W:
W:"Get dancers here to dance," she said,
W:"And minstrells for to play;
W:For here's my young son, Florentine,
W:Come here wi me to stay."
W:
W:"Get nae dancers to dance, mither,
W:Nor minstrells for to play,
W:For the mither o my seven sons,
W:The morn's her wedding-day."
W:
W:"O tell me, tell me, Florentine,
W:Tell me, and tell me true,
W:Tell me this day without a flaw,
W:What I will do for you."
W:
W:"Instead of dancers to dance, mither,
W:Or minstrells for to play,
W:Turn four-and-twenty wall-wight men
W:Like storks in feathers gray;
W:
W:"My seven sons in seven swans,
W:Aboon their heads to flee;
W:And I mysell a gay gos-hawk,
W:A bird o high degree."
W:
W:Then sichin said the queen hersell,
W:"That thing's too high for me;"
W:But she applied to an auld woman,
W:Who had mair skill than she.
W:
W:Instead o dancers to dance a dance,
W:Or minstrells for to play,
W:Four-and-twenty wall-wight men
W:Turnd birds o feathers gray;
W:
W:Her seven sons in seven swans,
W:Aboon their heads to flee;
W:And he himsell a gay gos-hawk,
W:A bird o high degree.
W:
W:This flock o birds took flight and flew
W:Beyond the raging sea,
W:And landed near the Earl Mar's castle,
W:Took shelter in every tree.
W:
W:They were a flock o pretty birds,
W:Right comely to be seen:
W:The people viewed them wi surprise,
W:As they dancd on the green.
W:
W:These birds ascended frae the tree
W:And lighted on the ha,
W:And at the last wi force did flee
W:Amang the nobles a'.
W:
W:The storks there seized some o the men,
W:They coud neither fight nor flee;
W:The swans they bound the bride's best man
W:Below a green aik tree.
W:
W:They lighted next on maidens fair,
W:Then on the bride's own head,
W:And in the twinkling o an ee
W:The bride and them were fled.
W:
W:There's ancient men at weddings been
W:For sixty years or more,
W:But sic a curious wedding-day
W:They never saw before.
W:
W:For naething coud the companie do,
W:Nor naething coud they say
W:But they saw a flock o pretty birds
W:That took their bride away.
W:
W:When that Earl Mar he came to know
W:Where his dochter did stay,
W:He signd a bond o unity,
W:And visits now they pay.