Dowie Dens o Yarrow

As sung by Jimmy Stewart, Forfar. Recorded by Peter and Lena Shepheard [Spr 67.3.14] during a visit to Jimmy and his wife Esther(?) with Belle Stewart and Sheila. Jimmy and his wife had a cottage beside the road from Alyth to Forfar. Jimmy was Jeannie Robertson's uncle and his wife Esther was aunt to Donald Higgins (Jeannie Robertson's husband).

A lady lives in the West,
You couldn't find her marrow;
She was courted by nine noblemen,
An' a ploughman boy fae Yarrow.

As they've been sittin all drinkin wine,
They made it up betwixt them;
That they would gang a-fightin him,
In the dowie dens o Yarrow.

He was plooin his rigs both broad an' wide,
An' ploughin lang an' narrow;
When nine belted lords come fightin him,
In the dowie dens o Yarrow.

'Oh nine to one are not fair play,
Oh nine to one's a gamble;
But I'll fight you nine lords one by one,
In the dowie dens o Yarrow.'

For three he slew while three withdrew,
An' three lies deadly wounded;
But her false brother John behind him came,
An' pierced his body slender.

'There no a man in aa Scotchland,
Could hurl a broadsword with me;
'Go home, go home you false young man,
An' tell your sister her sorrow;
Her true love John lies dead an' gone,
In a bloodan corp in Yarrow.'

'Oh father dear I've dreamed a dream,
I hope it won(e)t prove sorrow;
I dreamed I was puin heather bells,
In the dowie dens o Yarrow.'

Oh daughter dear I'll read your dream,
I hope it wone prove sorrow;
Your true love John lies dead an' gone,
In a bloodan corp in Yarrow.'

For her hair it hung three quarters long,
An' the colour o it was yellow;
'I'll tie it roun his middle sma,
I'll carry him home to Floato.'

For this girl with his child she'd been,
For this brung aa her sorrow;
She died in her father's arums,
In a little room in Floato.

Confirmation from Stanley Robertson: Jimmy was Jeannie's mother's brother Jeannie learnt most of her songs fronm her mother.

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