Classic Poem

It was in and about the Martinmas time,
When the wind blew schill and cauld,
That Adam o Gordon said to his men,
Whare will we get a hauld?

" Do ye not see yon bonnie castell,
That stands on Loudon lee?
The lord and I hae a deadlie feed,
And his lady fain wuld I see."

Lady Campbell was standing in the close,
A preenin o her goun,
Whan Adam o Gordon and his men
Cam riding thro Galston toun.

The dinner was na weel set doun,
Nor yet the grace weel said,
Till Adam o Gordon and a' his men
Around the wa's war laid.

" Come doun, come down, Ladie Campbell," he said,
" Come doun and speak to me;
I 'll kep thee in a feather bed,
And thy warraner I will be."

" I winna come doun and speak to thee,
Nor to ony lord nor loun;
Nor yet to thee, thou bloody butcher,
The laird o Auchruglen toun."

" Come doun, come doun, Ladye Campbell," he said,
" Cum doun and speak to me;
I 'll kep thee on the point o my sword,
And thy warraner I will be."

" I winna come doun and speak to thee,
Nor to ony lord or loun,
Nor yet to thee, thou bludie butcher,
The laird o Auchruglen toun."

" Syne gin ye winna come doun," he said,
" A" for to speak to me,
I 'll tye the bands around my waist,
And fire thy death sall be."

" I 'd leifer be burnt in ashes sma,
And cuist in yon sea-faem,
Or I 'd gie up this bonnie castell,
And my gude lord frae hame.

" For my gude lord 's in the army strong,
He 's new gane ower the sea;
He bade me keep this bonnie castell,
As lang 's it wuld keep me."

" Set fire to the house," said bauld Gordon,
" Set fire to the house, my men;
We 'll gar Lady Campbell come for to rew
As she burns in the flame."

" O wae be to thee, Carmichael," she said,
" And an ill death may ye die!
For ye hae lifted the pavement-stane,
And loot up the lowe to me.

" Seven years ye war about my house,
And received both meat and fee:"
" And now I 'm Adam o Gordon's man,
I maun either do or dee."

" Oh I wad gie the black," she said,
" And I wuld gie the brown,
All for ae cup o the cauld water
That rins to Galstoun toun."

Syne out and spak the auld dochter,
She was baith jimp and sma:
" O row me in a pair o sheets,
And fling me ower the wa!"

They row't her in a pair o sheets,
And flang her ower the wa,
And on the point o Gordon's sword
She gat a deadlie fa.

He turned her ower, and ower again,
And oh but she looked wan!
" I think I 've killed as bonnie a face
As ere the sun shined on."

He turned her ower, and ower again,
And oh but she lookt white!
" I micht hae spared this bonnie face,
To hae been some man's delight!"

Syne out and spak Lady Margaret,
As she stood on the stair:
" The fire is at my gowd garters,
And the lowe is at my hair."

Syne out and spak fair Ladie Ann,
Frae childbed whare she lay:
" Gie up this bonnie castell, mother,
And let us win away."

" Lye still, lye still, my fair Annie,
And let your talking be;
For ye maun stay in this bonnie castell
And dree your death wi me."

" Whatever death I am to dree,
I winna die my lane:
I 'll tak a bairn in ilka arm
And the third is in my wame."

Syne out and spak her youngest son,
A bonnie wee boy was he:
" Gae doun, gae doun, mother," he said,
" Or the lowe will worry me."

" I 'd leifer be brent in ashes sma
And cuist in yon sea-faem,
Or I 'd gie up this bonnie castell,
And my guid lord frae hame.

" For my gude lord 's in the army strong,
He 's new gane ower the sea;
But gin he eer returns again,
Revenged my death sall be."

Syne out and spak her waitin-maid:
Receive this babe frae me,
And save the saikless babie's life,
And I 'll neer seek mair fee.

" How can I tak the bairn?" she said,
" How can I tak 't?" said she,
" For my hair was ance five quarters lang,
And 't is now brent to my bree."

She rowit it in a feather-bed,
And flang it ower the wa,
But on the point o Gordon's sword
It gat a deidlie fa.

" I wuld gie Loudon's bonnie castell,
And Loudon's bonnie lee,
All gin my youngest son Johnnie
Could charge a gun to me.

" Oh, I wuld gie the black," she said,
" And sae wuld I the bay,
Gin young Sir George could take a steed
And quickly ride away."

Syne out and spak her auldest son,
As he was gaun to die:
" Send doun your chamber-maid, mother,
She gaes wi bairn to me."

" Gin ye were not my eldest son,
And heir o a' my land,
I 'd tye a sheet around thy neck,
And hang thee with my hand.

" I would gie my twenty gude milk-kye,
That feed on Shallow lee,
A' for ae blast o the norland wind,
To blaw the lowe frae me."

Oh was na it a pitie o yon bonnie castell,
That was biggit wi stane and lime!
But far mair pity o Lady Ann Campbell,
That was brunt wi her bairns nine.

Three o them war married wives,
And three o them were bairns,
And three o them were leal maidens,
That neer lay in men's arms.

And now Lord Loudon he 's come hame,
And a sorry man was he:
" He micht hae spared my lady's life,
And wreakit himsell on me!

" But sin we 've got thee, bauld Gordon,
Wild horses shall thee tear,
For murdering o my ladie bricht,
Besides my children dear."