Young Johnstone and the young Col'nel
Sat drinking at the wine;
O gin ye wad marry my sister
It 's I wad marry thine.

I wadna marry your sister
For a' your houses and land,
But I'll keep her for my leman
When I come o'er the strand.

I wadna marry your sister
For a' your gowd so gay,
But I'll keep her for my leman
When I come by the way.

Young Johnstone had a nut brown sword
Hung low down by his gair,
And he ritted it through the young Col'nel,
That word he ne'er spak mair.

But he 's awa' to his sister's bower,
He 's tirled at the pin;
Whare hae ye been, my dear brither,
Sae late a coming in?
I hae been at the school, sister,
Learning young clerks to sing.

I've dreamed a dreary dream this night,
I wish it may be for good;
They were seeking you with hawks and hounds
And the young Col'nel was dead.

Hawks and hounds they may seek me,
As I trow well they be;
For I have killed the young Col'nel
And thy own true love was he.

If ye hae killed the young Col'nel
O dule and wae is me;
But I wish ye may be hanged on a hie gallows
And hae nae power to flee.

And he 's awa' to his true love's bower,
He 's tirled at the pin;
Whar hae ye been, my dear Johnstone,
Sae late a coming in?
It 's I hae been at the school, he says,
Learning young clerks to sing.

I have dreamed a dreary dream, she says,
I wish it may be for good;
They were seeking you with hawks and hounds
And the young Col'nel was dead.

Hawks and hounds they may seek me,
As I trow well they be;
For I hae killed the young Col'nel
And thy ae brother was he.

If ye hae killed the young Col'nel
O dule and wae is me;
But I care the less for the young Col'nel
If thy ain 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 will thee keep.

He had not weel been in her bower door,
No not for half an hour,
When four and twenty belted knights
Came riding to 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 some bread and wine;
And the steed be swift that he rides on,
He 's past the brig o' Lyne.

We thank you for your bread, fair Lady,
We thank you for your wine;
But I wad gie thrice three thousand pound
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 will thee keep.

But young Johnstone had a little wee sword
Hung low down by his gair,
And he stabbed it in fair Annet's breast,
A deep wound and a sair.

What aileth thee now, dear Johnstone?
What aileth thee at me?
Hast thou not got my father's gold
Bot and my mither's fee?

[Ohon, alas, my lady gay,
To come sae hastilie!
I thought it was my deadly foe
Ye had trusted into me.]

Now live, now live, my dear Ladye,
Now live but half an hour;
And there 's no a leech in a' Scotland
But shall be in thy bower.

How can I live, how shall I live?
Young Johnstone, do not you see
The red, red drops o' my bonny heart's blood
Rin trinkling down my knee?

But take thy harp into thy hand
And harp out owre yon plain,
And ne'er think mair on thy true love
Than if she had never been.

He hadna weel been out o' the stable
And on his saddle set,
Till four and twenty broad arrows
Were thrilling in his heart.