“Had we twa been upon the green,
“And never an eye to see,
I wad hae had you, flesh and fell[103];
“But your sword sall gae wi’
me.”
“But gae ye up to Otterbourne,
“And wait there dayis three;
And, if I come not ere three dayis end,
“A fause knight ca’ ye me.”
“The Otterbourne’s a bonnie
burn;
“’Tis pleasant there to be;
“But there is nought at Otterbourne,
“To feed my men and me.
“The deer rins wild on hill and
dale,
“The birds fly wild from tree to
tree;
“But there is neither bread nor
kale,
“To fend[104] my men and me.
“Yet I will stay at Otterbourne,
“Where you shall welcome be;
“And, if ye come not at three dayis
end,
“A fause lord I’ll ca’
thee.”
“Thither will I come,” proud
Percy said,
“By the might of Our Ladye!”—
“There will I bide thee,”
said the Douglas,
“My trowth I plight to thee.”
They lighted high on Otterbourne,
Upon the bent sae brown;
They lighted high on Otterbourne,
And threw their pallions down.
And he that had a bonnie boy,
Sent out his horse to grass;
And he that had not a bonnie boy,
His ain servant he was.
But up then spake a little page,
Before the peep of dawn—
“O waken ye, waken ye, my good lord,
“For Percy’s hard at hand.”
“Ye lie, ye lie, ye liar loud!
“Sae loud I hear ye lie:
For Percy had not men yestreen,
“To dight my men and me.”
“But I hae dream’d a dreary
dream,
“Beyond the Isle of Sky;
“I saw a dead man win a fight,
“And I think that man was I.”
He belted on his good braid sword,
And to the field he ran;
But he forgot the helmet good,
That should have kept his brain.
When Percy wi’ the Douglas met,
I wat he was fu’ fain!
They swakked their swords, till sair they
swat,
And the blood ran down like rain.
But Percy, with his good broad sword,
That could so sharply wound,
Has wounded Douglas on the brow,
Till he fell to the ground.
Then he call’d on his little foot-page.
And said—“Run speedilie,
“And fetch my ain dear sister’s
son,
“Sir Hugh Montgomery.”
“My nephew good,” the Douglas
said,
“What recks the death of ane!
“Last night I dream’d a dreary
dream,
“And I ken the day’s thy ain,
“My wound is deep; I fain would
sleep;
“Take thou the vanguard of the three,
“And hide me by the braken bush,
“That grows on yonder lilye lee,
“O bury me by the braken bush,
“Beneath the blooming briar;
“Let never living mortal ken,
“That ere a kindly Scot lies here.”
He lifted up that noble lord,
Wi’ the saut tear in his e’e;
He hid him in the braken bush,
That his merrie men might not see.