Border ballads

Border ballads are ballads from the area of the England/Scotland border. They often exist in several variant versions, so the wording here may not always agree with other sources.

Sourced

• Maxwelton's braes are bonnie
  Where early fa's the dew
  And 'twas there that Annie Laurie
  Gave me her promise true.
  Gave me her promise true
  Which ne'er forgot will be
  And for bonnie Annie Laurie
  I'd lay me doon and dee.
  • Annie Laurie

• I wish I were where Helen lies;
  Night and day on me she cries;
  Oh that I were where Helen lies
  On fair Kirconnell lea!
  
  Curst be the heart that thought the thought,
  And curst the hand that fired the shot,
  When in my arms burd Helen dropt,
  And died to succour me!
  • Fair Helen

• Goodman, you've spoken the foremost word!
  Get up, and bar the door.
  • Get up and bar the door

• "What d'ye leave to your true-love, Lord Randal, my son?
  What d'ye leave to your true-love, my handsome young man?"
  "I leave her hell and fire; mother mak my bed soon,
  For I'm sick at the heart, and I fain wad lie down."
  • Lord Randall [1]

• When captains courageous, whom death could not daunt
  • Mary Ambree

• The first line that Sir Patrick read,
  A loud laugh laughed he;
  The next line that Sir Patrick read,
  The tear blinded his ee.
  • Sir Patrick Spens

• Mony a one for him makes mane,
  But nane sall ken where he is gane;
  O'er his white banes, when they are bare,
  The wind sall blaw for evermair.
  • The Twa Corbies

• But had I wist, before I kist,
  That love had been sae ill to win,
  I had lock'd my heart in a case o' gowd,
  And pinn'd it wi' a siller pin.
  And O! if my young babe were born,
  And set upon the nurse's knee;
  And I mysel were dead and gane,
  And the green grass growing over me!
  • Waly, waly

See also

• Percy's Reliques