Digital Tradition Mirror

Lady Isabel and the Elf-Knight

Lady Isabel and the Elf-Knight

1 FAIR lady Isabel sits in her bower sewing,
   Aye as he gowans grow gay
There she heard an elf-knight blawing his horn.
   The first morning in May

2 'If I had yen horn that I hear blawing,
And yen elf-knight to sleep in my bosom.'

3 This maiden had scarcely these words spoken,
Till in at her window the elf-knight has luppen.

4 'It's a very strange matter, fair maiden,' said he,
'I canna blaw my horn but ye call on me.

5 'But will ye go to yon greenwood side?
If ye canna gang, I will cause you to ride.'

6 He leapt on a horse, and she on another,
And they rode on to the greenwood together.

7 'Light down, light down, lady Isabel,' said he,
'We are come to the place where ye are to die.'

8 'Hae mercy, hae mercy, kind sir, on me,
Till ance my dear father and mother I see.'

9 'Seven king's-daughters here hae I slain,
And ye shall be the eight o them.'

10 '0 sit down a while, lay your head on my knee,
That we may hae some rest before that I die.'

11 She stroakd him sae fast, the nearer he did creep,
Wi a sma charm she lulld him fast asleep.

12 Wi his ain sword-belt sae fast as she ban him,
Wi his ain dag-durk sae sair as she dang him.

13 'If seven king's-daughters here ye hae slain,
Lye ye here, a husband to them a'.'

Child #4
Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 22. b.   die.
Motherwell's MS., p. 563.
SOF
OCT98

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!