There was a lady in the north   You scarce would find her marrow   She was courted by nine gentlemen   An a plooboy lad fae Yarrow      Well nine sat drinking at the wine   As oft they’d done afore o   And they made a vow amang themselves   Tae fight for her on Yarrow       He’s come ower yon high, high hill and   doon by the den sae narrow   And there he spied nine armed men    Come tae fight wi him on Yarrow      He says “There’s nine o’ you and but yin o’ me   It’s an unequal marrow”   But I’ll fight ye a’ noo one by one    On the Dowie Dens o’ Yarrow       So it’s three he slew and three withdrew    Anthree he wounded sairly   Til her brother he came in beyond   And he wounded him maist foully      “Gae hame, gae hame ye fause young man   And bring yer sister sorrow   For her ain true love lies pale and wan   On the Dowie Dens o’ Yarrow”      “O mither I dreamed a dream   A dream o’ doul and sorrow   I dreamed I was pu’ing the heathery bells   On the Dowie Dens o’ Yarrow”      “O daughter dear I ken yer dream    And I doobt it will bring sorrow   For yer lover John lies pale and wan   On the Dowie Dens o’ Yarrow”      So she’s run ower yon high, high hill an   doon by the den sae narrow   And there she spied her dear lover John   Lying pale and deid on Yarrow       She’s washed his face an’ kaimed his hair   As aft she’d done afore o   And tied it roond her middle sae sma   And carried him hame tae Yarrow.       “Oh haud yer tongue my dochter dear!   What need for all this sorrow?   I’ll wed ye tae a far, far better man   Than the one that’s lost on Yarrow”      “O faither ye hae seven sons   Ye may wed them a’ the morrow   But the fairest floo-er amang them a’   Was the plooboy lad fae Yarrow”      “So mither, mither mak my bed    And mak it saft and narrow   For my love died for me this day   And I’ll die for him tomorrow”