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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Edward
 (Sung text for setting by F. Scott)
 See original
Language: Scottish (Scots)  after the Scottish (Scots) 
"Why does your brand sae dreep wi' blude,
     Edward, Edward?
Why does your brand sae dreep wi' blude,
     And why sae sad gang ye, O?"
"O I hae kill'd my hawk sae gude,
     Mither, mither;
O I hae kill'd my hawk sae gude,
     And I had nae mair but he, O."

"Your hawk's blude was never sae red,
     Edward, Edward;
Your hawk's blude was never sae red,
     My dear son, I tell thee, O."
"O I hae kill'd my red-roan steed,
     Mither, mither;
O I hae kill'd my red-roan steed,
     That erst was sae fair and free, O."

"Your steed was auld, and ye hae got mair,
     Edward, Edward;
Your steed was auld, and ye hae got mair;
     Some other dule ye dree, O."
"O I hae kill'd my father dear,
     Mither, mither;
O I hae kill'd my father dear,
     Alas, and wae is me, O!"

"And whatten penance will ye dree for that,
     Edward, Edward?
Whatten penance will ye dree for that?
     My dear son, now tell me, O."
"I'll set my feet in yonder boat,
     Mither, mither;
I'll set my feet in yonder boat,
     And I'll fare ower the sea, O."

"And what will ye do wi' your tow'rs and your ha',
     Edward, Edward?
And what will ye do wi' your tow'rs and your ha',
     That were sae fair to see, O?"
"I'll let them stand till they doun fa',
     Mither, mither;
I'll let them stand till they doun fa',
     For here never mair maun I be, O."

"And what will ye leave to your bairns and your wife,
     Edward, Edward?
And what will ye leave to your bairns and your wife,
     When ye gang owre the sea, O?"
"The warld's room: let them beg through life,
     Mither, mither;
The warld's room: let them beg through life;
     For them never mair will I see, O."

"And what will ye leave to your ain mither dear,
     Edward, Edward?
And what will ye leave to your ain mither dear,
     My dear son, now tell me, O?"
"The curse of hell frae me shall ye bear,
     Mither, mither;
The curse of hell frae me shall ye bear:
     Sic counsels ye gave to me, O!"

Note: This old Scottish Ballad has been first published in print by Thomas Percy in his Reliques of Ancient English Poetry in 1765.

Composition:

    Set to music by Francis George Scott (1880 - 1958), "Edward", 1943, published 1949 [ voice and piano ], from 35 Scottish Lyrics and other Poems, no. 8, Bayley & Ferguson for The Saltire Society, Glasgow, page 25

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, "Edward, Edward", first published 1765 [an adaptation]

Based on:

  • a text in Scottish (Scots) by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , "Edward, Edward", subtitle: "A Scottish Ballad", first published 1765
    • Go to the text page.

See other settings of this text.


Research team for this page: Richard Morris , Iain Sneddon [Guest Editor] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-08
Line count: 56
Word count: 381

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