‘Willie 's fair, an Willie 's rare,
An Willie 's wondrous bonny,
An Willie 's promised to marry me,
If eer he marry ony.’

‘O sister dear, I 've dreamed a dream,
I 'm afraid it 's unco sorrow;
I dreamed I was pu'in the heather green,
In the dowie dens o Yarrow.’

‘O sister dear, I 'll read your dream,
I 'm afraid it will be sorrow;
Ye 'll get a letter ere it 's een
Your lover 's drowned in Yarrow.’

She socht him up, she socht him doun,
In mickle dule an sorrow;
She found him neath a buss o brume,
In the dowie dens o Yarrow.

Her hair it was three quarters lang,
Its colour it was yallow;
She tied it to his middle sma,
An pu'ed him oot o Yarrow.

‘My bed it was made wide yestreen,
The nicht it sall be narrow;
There 's neer a man lie by my side
Since Willie 's drowned in Yarrow.’