Digital Tradition Mirror

Cruel Brother

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Cruel Brother

There were three sisters lived in a hall
  Och aye and a lily gay
There came a knight and he wooed them all
  Oh the rose is aye the redder aye

Then the first one she was dressed in green
Would you fancy me and be my queen

And the second one she was dressed in yellow
Would you fancy me and be my marrow

And the third one she was dressed in red
Would you fancy me and be my bride

You may seek frae my faither dear
And from my mother wha did me bear

You may seek me frae my sister Ann
And dinna forget my brother John

Oh he's sought her frae her father the King
And he's sought her frae her mother the Queen

And he's sought her frae her sister Ann
But he forgot to speak to her brother John

And her mother dressed her in her goon
And her sister tied the flounces on

And her father mounted her on her horse
And her brother led her to the course

And he's ta'en a blade both long and sharp
And he's pierced the bonnie bride to the heart

Oh lead me gently up yon hill
And there I'll sit and make my will
And what will you leave to your father dear
The bonnie white stead that brought me here

And what will you leave to your mother dear
The bloody robes that I do wear

And what will you leave to your sister Ann
The golden ring frae off my hand

And what will you leave to your brother John
The gallows tree for to hang him on

Note other refrains in Child:
  Fine flowers in the valley
  With the light green and the yellow
  (or With the red the green and the yellow)

  With a hey ho and a lilie gay
  And the primrose spreads so sweetly
  (or As the rose was so sweetly blown)
  (or And the rose it smells so sweetly)

  Gilliver, Gentle, and Rosemary
  Sing oh the rose and the white lily

Child #11
recorded by Archie Fisher
SOF

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!