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FAIREST FLOO'ER

by Karine Polwart

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1.
Dowie Dens of Yarrow There was a lady in the north You scarce would find her marrow She was courted by nine gentlemen An a plooboy lad fae Yarrow Well nine sat drinking at the wine As oft they’d done afore o And they made a vow amang themselves Tae fight for her on Yarrow He’s come ower yon high, high hill and doon by the den sae narrow And there he spied nine armed men Come tae fight wi him on Yarrow He says “There’s nine o’ you and but yin o’ me It’s an unequal marrow” But I’ll fight ye a’ noo one by one On the Dowie Dens o’ Yarrow So it’s three he slew and three withdrew Anthree he wounded sairly Til her brother he came in beyond And he wounded him maist foully “Gae hame, gae hame ye fause young man And bring yer sister sorrow For her ain true love lies pale and wan On the Dowie Dens o’ Yarrow” “O mither I dreamed a dream A dream o’ doul and sorrow I dreamed I was pu’ing the heathery bells On the Dowie Dens o’ Yarrow” “O daughter dear I ken yer dream And I doobt it will bring sorrow For yer lover John lies pale and wan On the Dowie Dens o’ Yarrow” So she’s run ower yon high, high hill an doon by the den sae narrow And there she spied her dear lover John Lying pale and deid on Yarrow She’s washed his face an’ kaimed his hair As aft she’d done afore o And tied it roond her middle sae sma And carried him hame tae Yarrow. “Oh haud yer tongue my dochter dear! What need for all this sorrow? I’ll wed ye tae a far, far better man Than the one that’s lost on Yarrow” “O faither ye hae seven sons Ye may wed them a’ the morrow But the fairest floo-er amang them a’ Was the plooboy lad fae Yarrow” “So mither, mither mak my bed And mak it saft and narrow For my love died for me this day And I’ll die for him tomorrow”
2.
Thou Hast Left Me Ever Jamie Thou hast left me ever Jamie Thou hast left me ever Thou hast left me ever Jamie Thou hast left me ever Often hast thou sworn that death Should alone us sever Noo you’ve left my heart for aye I’ll see thee never Jamie, I’ll see thee never Thou hast me forsaken Jamie Thou hast me forsaken Thou hast me forsaken Jamie Thou hast me forsaken Thou can love anither lass While my heart is breaking Soon my weary e’en I’ll close Never mair tae waken Jamie, never mair tae waken
3.
Mirk, Mirk Is This Midnight Hour O MIRK, mirk is this midnight hour, And loud the tempest’s roar; A waefu’ wanderer seeks thy tower, Lord Gregory, ope thy door. An exile frae her father’s ha’, And a’ for loving thee; At least some pity on me shaw, If love it may na be. Lord Gregory, mind’st thou not the grove By bonie Irwine side, Where first I own’d that virgin love I lang, lang had denied. How aften didst thou pledge and vow Thou wad for aye be mine! And my fond heart, itsel’ sae true, It ne’er mistrusted thine. Hard is thy heart, Lord Gregory, And flinty is thy breast: Thou bolt of Heaven that flashest by, O, wilt thou bring me rest! Ye mustering thunders from above, Your willing victim see; But spare and pardon my fause Love, His wrangs to Heaven and me.
4.
Birks Of Invermay Behold the hills and dales around Wi lowing flocks and herds abound The wanton kids and frisking lambs Gambol and dance aroond their dams The busy bee wi humming noise And a’ the reptile kind rejoice Let us like them then sport and play Amang the Birks o’ Invermay How soon the winter o’ the year And age life’s winter will appear Tis then your living bloom will fade And that will strip the verdant shade Oor taste of pleasure then is o’er The feathered sangsters are no more But when they droop and we decay Fareweel the Birks o Invermay Hark! How the waters as they fa’ Loudly my love tae gladness ca’ The wanton waves sport in the beams And fishes play throughout the streams The circling sun does now advance And a’ the planets roond them dance Let us like them then sport and play Amang the Birks o’ Invermay
5.
Will Ye Go Tae Flanders? Will ye go tae Flanders, my Mally O? Will ye go tae Flanders, my Mally O? We’ll get wine and brandy, Sac and sugar candy, Will ye go tae Flanders, my Mally O. Will ye go tae Flanders, my Mally O? Tae see the bonnie soldiers, my Mally O? They’ll gie the pipes a blaw, Wi their kilts and plaids sae braw, Ae the fairest o’ them a, my Mally O. Will ye go tae Flanders, my Mally O? Gin I tak the royal shillin there my Mally O? Will ye tae a foreign shore, For tae hear the cannon roar, And the bloody shouts o’ war, my Mally O? Will ye go tae Flanders, my Mally O? Tae see the bold commanders, my Mally O? Will ye see the bullets fly, And the soldiers how they die, And the ladies how they cry, my Mally O?
6.
The Learig 03:19
The Learig When o'er the hill the eastern star Tells bughtin time is near, my jo, And owsen frae the furrow'd field Return sae dowf and weary O; Down by the burn, where birken buds Wi' dew are hangin clear, my jo, I'll meet thee on the lea-rig, My ain kind Dearie O. At midnight hour, in mirkest glen, I'd rove, and ne'er be eerie, O, If thro' that glen I gaed to thee, My ain kind Dearie O; Altho' the night were ne'er sae wild, And I were ne'er sae weary O, I'll meet thee on the lea-rig, My ain kind Dearie O. The hunter lo'es the morning sun; To rouse the mountain deer, my jo; At noon the fisher seeks the glen Adown the burn to steer, my jo: Gie me the hour o' gloamin' grey, It maks my heart sae cheery O, To meet thee on the lea-rig, My ain kind Dearie O.
7.
The Death Of Queen Jane Queen Jane lay in labour full six days or more, Till the women grew weary and the midwives gave o’er. They sent for King Henry to come with great speed To be with Queen Jane in her hour of need King Henry came to her and sat by her bedside Saying “What ails thee my Jeannie? What ails thee my bride?” “O Henry O Henry do this one thing for me Rip open my right side and find my baby” “O Jeannie, O Jeannie that never will do It would lease thy sweet life and thy young baby too” She wept and she wailed and she fell into a swoon They opened her right side and her baby was found Well the baby was christened the very next day While his poor dead mother a mouldering lay Six men went before her and four more travelled on While loyal King Henry stood mourning alone He wept and he wailed until he was sore Saying “The flower of all England will flourish no more” He sat by the river with his head in his hands Saying “My merry England’s a sorrowful land”
8.
The Wife Of Usher's Well There lived a wife at Usher's Well And a wealthy wife was she She had three stout and stalwart sons And she sent them o'er the sea They hadna been a month frae her Not one month and a day Till cauld, cauld Death come o’er the land And he stole those boys away She said “I wish the wind would never mair blaw Nor fish swim in the flood Till my my three boys come hame tae me In earthly flesh and blood In earthly flesh and blood” Well it fell aboot the Martinmas time When the nichts are lang and mirk The carlin wife’s three boys come hame And their hats were o’ the birk That neither grew in any wood Nor down by any wall But at the gates o Paradise Aye, the birken tree grew tall So she has laid the table braid Wi bread and blood red wine “Come eat and drink my bonnie boys Come and eat and drink o mine” “Oh mither bread we cannae eat Nor can we drink the wine For cauld, cauld death is Lord of All And to him we must resign” “For the green, green grass is at oor heads And the clay is at oor feet And how your tears come tumbling down Tae wet the winding sheet Tae wet the winding sheet” So she has made a bed full braid And she’s made it lang and deep She's laid it all wi golden thread And she’s lulled those boys tae sleep But the cock he hadna crowed but once Tae welcome in the day When the eldest tae the youngest says “Brother we must away” “For the cock does craw, the day does daw And the chunnerin worm does chide And if we're missed out o’ oor place Then a sair pain we maun bide” “For the green, green grass is at oor heads And the clay is at oor feet And how your tears come tumbling down Tae wet the winding sheet Tae wet the winding sheet” She said “I wish the wind may never blaw Nor fish swim in the flood Till my three sons return to me In earthly flesh and blood In earthly flesh and blood”
9.
Can't Weld A Body You crafted and caressed her with a careful hand But the lady didn’t understand And you riveted and plated her til morning But with a coil or a careless spark Or a tumble in the dark She’ll leave her mark upon you without warning You can float a boat of steel upon the ocean You can fix it up with nuts and bolts and toil But you can’t weld a body when it’s broken The lady she’s as fair as Desdemona She swallowed you up just like Jonah And there the air inside her belly ailed you And no-one saw you fall And they did not hear your call And your breath it faltered just before it failed you On a cruiser that was fitted by your father You anchored in San Carlos harbour But the lady at the helm she was not for turning And in your bell bottoms blue In April 82 You bid adieu and watched all you knew burning

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released December 10, 2007

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Karine Polwart UK

One of the finest singer-songwriters in Britain" The Guardian

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