The border widow's lament

My love he built me a bonny bower,

And clad it a' wi' lilye flower;

A brawer bower ye ne'er did see,

Than my true love he built for me.

There came a man, by middle day,

He spied his sport, and went away;

And brought the king that very night,

Who brake my bower, and slew my knight.

He slew my knight, to me so dear;

He slew my knight, and poined his gear;

My servants all for life did flee,

And left me in extremitie.

I sewed his sheet, making my mane;

I watched the corpse, myself alane;

I watched his body, night and day;

No living creature came that way.

I took his body on my back,

And whiles I gaed, and whiles I sat;

I digged a grave, and laid him in,

And happed him with the sod sae green.

But think na ye my heart was sair,

When I laid the moul' on his yellow hair;

Think na ye my heart was wae,

When I turned about, away to gae?

Nae living man I'll love again,

Since that my lovely knight is slain;

Wi' ae lock of his yellow hair,

I'll chain my heart for evermair.