Errol it's a bonnie place,
It stands upon a plain;
A bad report this lady's raised
That Errol's no' a man.
Chorus: Wi' the rantin' o'it and the
dauntin' o'it
Accordin' as ye ken,
The thing they ca' the rantin' o'it,
Lady Errol lies her lane.
"What needs I wash my apron,
And hang it on a dyke?
What needs they ca' me Errol's wife,
When I gang so maiden-lie?
"What needs I wash my petticoat,
Or hang it on a pin?
For lang will I gang but-and-ben
Ere I hear the bairnies' din.
"What needs I wash my apron,
Or dry't upon a door?
What needs I eek my petticoat
Hings even doon before."
"When I cam' in by on canal
And by yon bowling-green,
I might hae pleased the best Carnegie
That ever bore the name.
"But as sure as your name it Kate Carnegie
And mine is Gilbert Hay,
I'll gar your father sell his lands
Your tocher for to pay."
"To gar my father sell his lands
Would that no' be a sin?
Pay tocher to a worthless lord
That canna get a son."
Now Errol's gotten 't at his will
To choose a maid himsel'
And he has chosen a country lass,
Cam' in her milk to sell.
He kept her locked into a room,
Three quarters o' a year,
And when three quarters ended were
A braw young son she bare.
There wasna a lord in Edinburgh
But to Peggy gied a ring;
And there wasna a lad in a' the town
But on Katie had a sang.
"Look up, look up, my pretty Peggy,
Look up and think no shame,
I'll mak' ye Lady Errol," he said
"And Kate shall be sent hame."
"Tak' hame your daughter, Carnegie!" he said
"And wed her to a man.
For Errol canna please her,
Nor nane o' all his men!"
"Quhy dois your brand sae drop wi' bluid,
Edward, Edward,
Quhy dois your brand sae drop wi' bluid,
and quhy sae sad gang ye, O?"
"O I have killed my hauk sae guid,
Mither, Mither,
O I have killed my hauk sae guid,
And I had nae mair bot hee, O."
"Your haukis bluid was nevir sae reid,
Edward, Edward,
Your haukis bluid was nevir sae reid,
My deir son I tell thee, O."
"O I hae killed my reid-roan steid,
Mither,Mither,
O I hae killed my reid-roan steid,
That erst was sae fair and free, O."
"Your steid was auld, and ye hae gat mair,
Edward, Edward,
Your steid was auld, and ye hae gat mair,
Sum other dule ye drie, O."
"O I hae killed my fadir deir,
Mither, Mither,
O I hae killed my fadir deir,
Alas and wae is me, O."
"And quhatten penance wul ye drie for that,
Edward, Edward,
And quhatten penance wul ye drie for that
My deir son, now tell me, O."
"Ile set my feit in yonder boat,
Mither, Mither,
Ile set my feit in yonder boat
and Ile fare ovir the sea,O."
"And Quhat wul ye doe wi' your towirs and your
ha',
Edward, Edward,
And Quhat wul ye doe wi' your towirs and your
ha',
That were sae fair to see, O?"
"Ile let them stand til they doun fa',
Mither, Mither,
Ile let them stand til they doun fa',
For here nevir mair maun I bee, O."
"And quhat wul ye leive to your bairns and your
wife,
Edward, Edward,
"And quhat wul ye leive to your bairns and your
wife,
Quhan ye gang ovir the sea, O?"
"The warldis room let thame beg throw life,
Mither, Mither,
The warldis room let thame beg throw life,
For thame nevir mair wul I see, O."
"And quhat wul ye leive to your ain mither deir,
Edward, Edward,
And quhat wul ye leive to your ain mither deir,
My deir son, now tell me, O?"
"The curse of hell frae me sall ye beir,
Mither, Mither,
The curse of hell frae me sall ye beir,
Sic counseils ye gave tae me, O."
O who rides by night thro' the woodland so wild?
It is the fond father embracing his child;
And close the boy nestles within his loved arm,
To hold himself fast, and to keep himself warm.
"O father, see yonder! see yonder!"
he says;
"My boy, upon what dost thou fearfully gaze?"
"O, 'tis the Erl-King with his crown and his
shroud."
"No, my son, it is but a dark wreath of the cloud."
The Erl-King Speaks:
"O come and go with me, thou loveliest child;
By many a gay sport shall thy time be beguil'd;
My mother keeps for the full many a fair toy,
And many a fine flower shall she pluck for
my boy."
"O father, my father, and did you not hear
The Erl-King whisper so low in my ear?"
"Be still, my heart's darling -- my child, be
at ease;
It was but the wild blast as it sung thro' the
trees."
Erl-King:
O wilt thou go with me, thou loveliest boy?
My daughter shall tend thee with care and
with joy;
She shall bear thee so lightly thro' wet and
thro' wild,
And press thee, and kiss thee, and sing to
my child."
"O father, my father, and saw you not plain
The Erl-King's pale daughter glide past thro'
the rain?"
"O yes, my loved treasure, I knew it full soon:
It was the grey willow that danced to the moon."
Erl-King:
"O come and go with me, no longer delay,
Or else, silly child, I will drag thee away."
"O father! O father! now, now keep
your hold,
The Erl-King has seized me -- his grasp is so
cold!"
Sore trembled the father; he spurr'd thro' the
wild,
Clasping close to his bosom his shuddering child;
He reaches his dwelling in doubt and in dread,
But, clasp'd to his bosom, the infant was dead.
I prithee, an thou hast enjoyed rest and merriment whilst pausing at
the Gallery, scribe thy thoughts to the good gentle below.
songsmith@oocities.com
Scribed this 28th day of October, 1998
Except for where otherwise noted, all works and
character concepts are Copyrighted 1997
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