Young Johnstone - June Tabor

Young Johnstone and the young Colonel

Sat drinking at the wine

«It's if you’ll marry my sister

It’s I will marry thine.»

«I wouldn’t marry your sister

For all your houses and lands

But it’s I will make her my mistress

When I come o’er the strand.»

Young Johnstone had a little wee sword

Hung low down by his gear

And he’s thrust it through the young Colonel;

That word he never spoke more

Then he’s away to his sister’s bower

He’s tirled at the pin:

«Where have you been, my dear brother

So late a-coming in?»

«It's I have been at school, lady

Learning young clrks to sing.»

«Oh, I have dreamed a dradful dream

I hope it may be for good;

They were seeking you with hawks and hounds

And the young Colonel was dead.»

«Hawks and hounds they may seek me

As I trow well they be;

For I have killed the young Colonel

Thy own true love was he.»

«If you have killed the young Colonel

Then dule and woe is me!

May they hang you from the high gallows

And have no power to flee.»

Then he’s away to his true love’s bower

He’s tirled at the pin:

«Where have you been, my dear Johnstone

So late a-coming in?»

«I have been at school, lady

Learning young clerks to sing.»

«I have dreamed a dreadful dream

I hope it may be for good;

They were seeking you with hawks and hounds

And the young Colonel was dead.»

«Hawks and hounds they may seek me

As I trow well they be;

For I have killed the young Colonel

Thy own brother was he.»

«If you have killed the young Colonel

Then dule and woe is me!

But I care the less for the young Colonel

If thy own body be free.»

«Come in, come in, my dear Johnstone

Come in and take a sleep;

And I will go to my casement

And carefully I’ll thee keep.»

She had not well been at her bower door

No not for half an hour

When four and twenty belted knights

Came a-riding by the bower

«Well may you sit and see, lady

Well may you sit and say;

Did you not see a bloody squire

Come riding by this way?»

«What colour were his hawks?»

she says

«What colour were his hounds?

What colour was the gallant steed

That bore him from the bounds?»

«Bloody, bloody were his hawks

And bloody were his hounds;

But milk-white was the gallant steed

That bore him from the bounds.»

«Yes, bloody, bloody were his hawks

And bloody were his hounds;

But milk-white was the gallant steed

That bore him from the bounds.»

«Light down, light down now, gentlemen

And take a glass of wine;

And the steed be swift that he rides on

He’s past the bridge of Lyne.»

«We thank you for your bread, lady

We thank you for your wine

But I’d rather thrice three thousand pound

That that bloody knight was ta’en.»

«Lie still, lie still, my dear Johnstone

Lie still and take a sleep;

For thy enemies are past and gone

And carefully I’ll thee keep.»

Young Johnstone had a little wee sword

Hung low down by his gear

And he thrust it in fair Annet’s breast

A deep wound and sore

«What aileth thee now, dear Johnstone?

What aileth thee at me?

Have you not got my father’s gold

And my mother’s fee?»

«Now live, now live, my dear lady

Now live but half an hour

And there’s no a leech in all Scotland

But shall be at thy bower.»

«How can I live?

How shall I live?

Young Johnstone, don’t you see

The red, red drops of my heart’s blood

Run a-trickling down my knee?

«But take your harp into your hand

And harp out o’er yon plain

And think no more on thy true love

Than if she’d never been.»

He had not well been out of the stable

And on the saddle set

When four and twenty broad arrows

Were thrilling in his heart