gay goss-hawk,
That he can speak and flee;
He'll carry a letter to my love,
Bring back another to me.'

2.
'O how can I your true-love ken,
Or how can I her know?
When frae her mouth I never heard couth,
Nor wi' my eyes her saw.'

3.
'O well sal ye my true-love ken,
As soon as you her see;
For, of a' the flow'rs in fair Englan',
The fairest flow'r is she.

4.
'At even at my love's bow'r-door
There grows a bowing birk,
An' sit ye down and sing thereon
As she gangs to the kirk.

5.
'An' four-and-twenty ladies fair
Will wash and go to kirk,
But well shall ye my true-love ken,
For she wears goud on her skirt.

6.
'An' four-and-twenty gay ladies
Will to the mass repair,
But well sal ye my true-love ken,
For she wears goud on her hair.'

7.
O even at that lady's bow'r-door
There grows a bowin' birk,
An' she sat down and sang thereon,
As she ged to the kirk.

8.
'O eet and drink, my marys a',
The wine flows you among,
Till I gang to my shot-window,
An' hear yon bonny bird's song.

9.
'Sing on, sing on, my bonny bird,
The song ye sang the streen,
For I ken by your sweet singin',
You 're frae my true-love sen'.'

10.
O first he sang a merry song,
An' then he sang a grave,
An' then he peck'd his feathers gray,
To her the letter gave.

11.
'Ha, there's a letter frae your love,
He says he sent you three;
He canna wait your love langer,
But for your sake he'll die.

12.
'He bids you write a letter to him;
He says he's sent you five;
He canno wait your love langer,
Tho' you're the fairest woman alive.'

13.
'Ye bid him bake his bridal bread,
And brew his bridal ale,
An' I'll meet him in fair Scotlan'
Lang, lang or it be stale.'

14.
She's doen her to her father dear,
Fa'n low down on her knee:
'A boon, a boon, my father dear,
I pray you, grant it me.'

15.
'Ask on, ask on, my daughter,
An' granted it sal be;
Except ae squire in fair Scotlan',
An' him you sall never see.'

16.
'The only boon my father dear,
That I do crave of the,
Is, gin I die in southin lans,
In Scotland to bury me.

17.
'An' the firstin kirk that ye come till,
Ye gar the bells be rung,
An' the nextin kirk that ye come till,
Ye gar the mess be sung.

18.
'An' the thir