It fell aboot the Lammas-tide
when muir men win their hay
The doughty Douglas bound him ride
tae England tae catch a prey
He's ta'en the Gordons
and the Graemes and the Lindsays light and gay
The Jardines would not wi' him ride,
they rue it tae this day
And he has burnt the dales o' Tyne
and hairried Bambroughshire
The Otterdale he's burnt it hale
and set it a' on fire
And he rade up tae Newcastle
and rode it roond aboot
Sayin', "Wha's the laird o' this castle,
and wha's the lady o't?"
Then up spake proud Lord Percy then,
and oh but he spak' high
"I am the lord o' this castle,
my wife's the lady gay"
"If thou'rt the lord o' this castle,
sae weel it pleases me
For ere I cross the border fells
the tane o' us shall dee"
He took a lang spear in his hand
shod wi' the metal free
For to meet the Douglas
there he rade right furiouslie
But Oh how pale his lady
looked frae aff the castle wa'
When doon before the Scottish spear
she saw proud Percy fa'
They lichted high on Otterburn
upon the bent sae broon
They lichted high on Otterburn
and threw their broadswords doon
But up there spoke a bonnie boy
before the break o' dawn
Sayin', Wake ye now, my good lords a',
Lord Percy's near at han'
When Percy wi' the Douglas met
I wat he was fu' fain
They swappit swords and sair
they swat, the blood ran doon between
But Percy wi' his good broadsword
that could sae sharply wound
Has wounded Douglas on the brow
till he fell tae the ground
"Oh, bury me 'neath the bracken bush
that grows by yonder brier
Let never a living mortal ken
that Douglas he lies here"
They've lifted up that noble lord
wi' the salt tear in their e'e
They've buried him 'neath the bracken bush
that his merry men might not see
When Percy wi' Montgomery met
that either of other were fain
They swappit swords and sair they swat,
the blood ran doon like rain
This deed was done at Otterburn
before the break of day
Earl Douglas was buried at the bracken bush
and Percy led captive away
when muir men win their hay
The doughty Douglas bound him ride
tae England tae catch a prey
He's ta'en the Gordons
and the Graemes and the Lindsays light and gay
The Jardines would not wi' him ride,
they rue it tae this day
And he has burnt the dales o' Tyne
and hairried Bambroughshire
The Otterdale he's burnt it hale
and set it a' on fire
And he rade up tae Newcastle
and rode it roond aboot
Sayin', "Wha's the laird o' this castle,
and wha's the lady o't?"
Then up spake proud Lord Percy then,
and oh but he spak' high
"I am the lord o' this castle,
my wife's the lady gay"
"If thou'rt the lord o' this castle,
sae weel it pleases me
For ere I cross the border fells
the tane o' us shall dee"
He took a lang spear in his hand
shod wi' the metal free
For to meet the Douglas
there he rade right furiouslie
But Oh how pale his lady
looked frae aff the castle wa'
When doon before the Scottish spear
she saw proud Percy fa'
They lichted high on Otterburn
upon the bent sae broon
They lichted high on Otterburn
and threw their broadswords doon
But up there spoke a bonnie boy
before the break o' dawn
Sayin', Wake ye now, my good lords a',
Lord Percy's near at han'
When Percy wi' the Douglas met
I wat he was fu' fain
They swappit swords and sair
they swat, the blood ran doon between
But Percy wi' his good broadsword
that could sae sharply wound
Has wounded Douglas on the brow
till he fell tae the ground
"Oh, bury me 'neath the bracken bush
that grows by yonder brier
Let never a living mortal ken
that Douglas he lies here"
They've lifted up that noble lord
wi' the salt tear in their e'e
They've buried him 'neath the bracken bush
that his merry men might not see
When Percy wi' Montgomery met
that either of other were fain
They swappit swords and sair they swat,
the blood ran doon like rain
This deed was done at Otterburn
before the break of day
Earl Douglas was buried at the bracken bush
and Percy led captive away
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