Digital Tradition Mirror

The Bonnie Hoose o' Airlie

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Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

The Bonnie Hoose o' Airlie

It fell on a day, on a bonnie summer's day,
When the sun shone bright and clearly,
That there fell oot a great dispute
Atween Argyll and Airlie.

Argyll he has mustered a thousand o'his men,
He as marched them oot richt early;
He has marched them in by the back  o' Dunkeld,
To plunder the bonnie hoose o'  Airlie.

Lady Ogilvie she looked frae her window sae high,
And O but she grat sairly,
To see Argyll and a' his men
Gome to plunder the bonnie hoose o' Airlie.

"Come doon, come doon, Lady Ogilvie" he cried:
"Come doon and kiss me fairly,
Or I swear by the hilt o'my guid braidsword
That I winna leave a stan'in' stane in Airlie."


"l winna come doon, ye cruel Argyll,
I winna kiss ye fairly;
I wadna kiss ye, fause Argyll,
Though ye sudna leave a stan'in' stane in Airlie."

"Gome tell me whaur your dowry is hid,
Gome doon and tell me fairly."
"l winna tell ye whaur my dowry is hid,
Though ye sudna leave a stan'in' stane in Airlie."

They socht it up and they socht it doon,
I wat they socht it early;
And it was below yon bowling green
They found the dowrie o' Airlie.

"Eleven bairns I hae born
And the twelfth ne'er saw his daddie,
But though I had gotten as mony again,
They sud a' gang to fecht for Charlie.

"Gin my guid lord had been at hame,
As he's awa' for Charlie,
There dursna a Campbell o' a' Argyll
Set a fit on the bonnie hoose o' Airlie."

He's ta'en her by the milk-white hand,
But he didna lead her fairly;
He led her up to the tap o' the hill,
Whaur she saw the burnin' o' Airlie.

The smoke and flame they rose so high
The walls they were blackened fairly;'
And the lady laid her doon on the green to dee
When she saw the burnin' o' Airlie. '

From Folksongs and Ballads of Scotland, MacColl
Child #199
RG

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!