Keeping time, time, time,

As he knells, knells, knells,

In a happy Runic rhyme,

To the rolling of the bells

Of the bells, bells, bells

To the tolling of the bells-

Of the bells, bells, bells, bells-
Bells, bells, bells-

To the moaning and the groaning of the bells.

"And whatna hauld sall we draw to,

My merry men and me?

We will gae to the house of Rodes,

To see that fair ladye."

She had nae sooner buskit hersel',
Nor putten on her goun,

Till Edom o' Gordon and his men
Were round about the toun.

They had nae sooner sitten doun,
Nor suner said the grace,

Till Edom o' Gordon and his men
Were closed about the place.

The ladye ran up to her touir heid,
As fast as she could drie,
To see if, by her fair speeches,
She could with him agree.

As sune as he saw the ladye fair,
And her yetts all lockit fast,
He fell into a rage of wrath,
And his heart was aghast.

"Come down to me, ye ladye fair,
Come down to me, let's see ;
This night ye'se lie by my ain side,
The morn my bride sall be."

"I winna come down, ye fause Gordon ; I winna come doun to thee;

I winna forsake my ain deir lord,

That is sae far frae me."

"Gie up your house, ye fair ladye,

Gie up your house to me;

Or I will burn yoursel' therein,
But and your babies thrie."

"I winna gie 't up, thou fause Gordon,
To nae sic traitor as thee;

Though thou suld burn mysel' therein,
But and my babies thrie."

"Set fire to the house," quoth fause Gordon,

"Sin' better may na be;

And I will burn hersel' therein,

But and her babies thrie."

"And ein wae worth ye, Jock, my man:

I paid ye weil your fee;

Why pu ye oot my grund-wa-stane,

Lets in the reek to me?

"And ein wae worth ye, Jock, my man!

I paid you weil your hyre ;

Why pu you oot my grund-wa-stane,
To me lets in the fyre?"

"Ye paid me well my hire, lady,

Ye paid me well my fee;

But now I'm Edom of Gordon's man-
Maun either do or die."

Oh then bespake her youngest son,

Sat on the nurse's knee,

"Dear mother, gie ower your house," he says, "For the reek it worries me."

"I winna gie up my house, my dear,

To nae sic traitor as he;

Come weel, come wae, my jewel fair, Ye maun tak share wi' me."

Oh then bespake her daughter deir;
She was baith jimp and sma';
"Oh row me in a pair o' sheets,
And tow me ower the wa'."

They row'd her in a pair o' sheets,
And tow'd her ower the wa';
But on the point o' Edom's speir
She gat a deidly fa'.

Oh bonnie, bonnie was her mouth,
And cherry were her cheeks;
And cleir, cleir was her yellow hair,
Whereon the reid blude dreips.

Then wi' his speir he turn'd her ower, Oh gin her face was wan!

He said, "You are the first that eir

I wist alyve again."

He turn'd her ower and ower again,

Oh gin her skin was whyte!

He said, "I micht hae spared thy lyfe, To been some man's delyte.

"Backe and boun, my merrie men all; For ill dooms I do guess ;

I canna luik on that bonnie face,
As it lies on the grass!"