As I was a-walking all alane
I heard twa corbies makkin a mane;
And tain untae the tither did say-o,
“Where shall we gang and dine the day-o
Where shall we gang and dine the day?”
“In behind yon auld fail dyke
I wot there lies a new-slain knight;
And naebody kens that he lies there-o
But his hawk and his hound and his lady fair-o,
His hawk and his hound and his lady fair.”
His hound is tae the hunting gane,
His hawk tae fetch the wildfowl hame;
His lady’s ta’en anither mate-o
So we may mak our dinner sweet-0,
We may mak our dinner sweet.”
“Ye’ll sit on his white hause-bane
And I’ll pike out his bonny blue een;
Wi’ many a lock of his golden hair-o
We’ll theek our nest when it grows bare-o,
Theek our nest when it grows bare.”
“Many a one for him maks mane
But nane shall ken where he is gane;
O’er his white bones when they are bare-o
The wind shall blow for evermair-o,
The wind shall blow for evermair.”
(hause-bane = breast bone
theek our nest = feather our nest)
Éaspringstede 