| |
I
‘I HEARD a cow low, a bonnie cow low, | |
| And a cow low down in yon glen: | |
| Lang, lang will my young son greet | |
| Or his mither bid him come ben! | |
| |
II
‘I heard a cow low, a bonnie cow low, | 5 |
| And a cow low down in yon fauld: | |
| Lang, lang will my young son greet | |
| Or his mither take him frae cauld!’ | |
| |
III
[The Queen of Elfan’s nourice | |
| She sits and sings her lane] | 10 |
| ‘Waken, Queen of Elfan | |
| And hear your nourice moan.’— | |
| |
IV
‘O moan ye for your meat, | |
| Or moan ye for your fee, | |
| Or moan ye for the ither bounties | 15 |
| That ladies are wont to gie?’— | |
| |
V
‘I moan na for my meat, | |
| Nor moan I for my fee, | |
| Nor moan I for the ither bounties | |
| That ladies are wont to gie. | 20 |
| |
VI
[‘But I heard a bonnie cow | |
| Low down in yonder fauld] | |
| And I moan for my young son | |
| I left in four nights auld. | |
| |
VII
‘I moan na for my meat, | 25 |
| Nor yet for my fee; | |
| But I moan for Christen land; | |
| It’s there I fain would be.’ | |
| |
VIII
‘O nurse my bairn, nourice, | |
| Till he stan’ at your knee, | 30 |
| An ye’s win hame to Christen land | |
| Whar fain it’s ye wad be. | |
| |
IX
‘O keep my bairn, nourice, | |
| Till he gang by the hauld, | |
| An ye’s win hame to your young son | 35 |
| Ye left in four nights auld. | |
| |
X
‘O nourice lay your head | |
| [Here] upo’ my knee: | |
| See ye not that narrow road | |
| Up by yonder tree? | 40 |
| |
XI
[‘See ye not the narrow road | |
| By yon lillie leven?] | |
| That’s the road the righteous goes | |
| And that’s the road to heaven. | |
| |
XII
‘An’ see na ye that braid road | 45 |
| Down by yon sunny fell? | |
| Yon’s the road the wicked gae, | |
| An’ that’s the road to hell. | |
| |
XIII
[An’ see na ye that bonny road | |
| About the fernie brae? | 50 |
| That wins back frae Elfland | |
| Where you must wait to gae.] | |
| | | GLOSS: greet] cry. ben] to the inner room. nourice] nurse. gang by the hauld] walk by holding on to the hand. |
|
| |
