The Border Widow's Lament

My love, he built me a bonny bower

And clad it o'er with lily flower

A bonnier bower you ne'er did see

Than my true love he built for me

There came a man by middle day

He spied his sport and went away

And brought the King that very night,

Who broke my bower and slew my knight

He slew my knight to me so dear

He slew my knight and seized his gear

My servants all for life did flee

And left me in extremity

I sewed his shroud, making my moan

I watched his corpse, myself alone

I watched his body night and day

No living creature came that way

I took his body on my back

And whiles I walked and whiles I sat

I digged a grave and laid him in,

And happed him with the turf so green

Oh, don't you think my heart was sore,

As I laid the earth on his yellow hair

Oh, don't you think my heart was woe,

As I turned about, away to go

No living man I'll love again

Since that my lovely knight is slain

With just one lock of his yellow hair

I'll chain my heart forevermore