Demon Lover

Traditional


Where hae ye been, my dearest dear, these seven lang years and mair?
I’m come te seek my former vows, that ye promised te me before.
O hold yer tougue o’ yer former vows, for they wil bring such strife,
O hold yer tougue o’ yer former vows, for I am become a wife.

For you I scorned a crown of gold, and King’s daughter also.
Now I am come for you my love, aye and with me, ye must go.
See ye now yon seven pretty ships, the eight brought me to land.
With merchandise and mariners, and wealth on every hand.

And she has gone tae her young son, aye and kissed him cheek and chin,
And then tae her sleeping husband gone, and done the same tae him.
She set her foot on board the ship sae beautiful and bold,
But no mariners on board the ship tae sail her did she behold.

They had na sailed a league, a league, leagues but barley one,
When she began tae weep and moan, and tae think on her young son.
They had na sailed a league, a league, leagues but barely two,
When she espied his cloven hoof from his gareb sticking through.

They had na sailed a league, a league, leagues but barely three,
When darkening grew his countenance and raging grew the sea.
And the masts that were like the beaten gold bent not in the heaving seas,
And the that sails were o the silk sae fine filled not in the East land breeze.

I said ye’d see the lillies grow on the banks of Italy,
But I’ll let ye see the fishes swim in the bottom o the sea
And aye she turned her round about, tall he seemed to be,
Until the masts o that gallant ship no taller were than he.

The clouds grew dark, tha wind grew loud, and levin filled her e’e
And waesome wailed the snow white caps upon the raging sea
He struck the topmast wi’ his hand, and the foremast wi’ his knee,
And he broke the gallant ship in twain, and he sank her in the sea.