Lady Isobel and the Elf‑Knight
Language: English
Fair Lady Isobel sits in her bower sewing, There she heard the Elf-Knight blowing his horn. 'If I had yon horn that I hear blowing, And yon Elf-Knight to sleep in my bosom.' The maiden had scarcely these words spoken, When in at her window the Elf-Knight has luppen. 'It's a very strange matter, fair maiden' said he, 'I canna blow my horn but ye call on me. But will ye go to yon Greenwood side? If ye canna gaing, I will cause you to ride'. He leapt on a horse and she on another, And they rode on to the greenwood together. 'Light down, light down, fair lady Isobel', said he, 'We are come to the place where you are to die'. 'Have mercy, have mercy kind sir on me, Till once my dear father and mother I see'. 'Seven king's daughters here have I slain, And you shall be the eighth of them'. 'O sit down a while, rest your head upon my knee, That we may have some rest before I die'. She stroked him so softly the nearer he did creep; With a small secret charm she lulled him fast asleep. With his own sword belt so softly she bound him; With his own dagger so softly she killed him.
Authorship:
- from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , Scottish folk ballad [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Judith Weir (b. 1954), "Lady Isobel and the Elf-Knight", 1982 [tenor or soprano and piano], from Scotch Minstrelsy, no. 3, Novello & Co Ltd [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2016-02-10
Line count: 24
Word count: 214