The Fair Floo'er O' Northumberland

Trad  (Child #9, Roud #64)

The provost's ae daughter was walkin' her lane

Oh but her love it was easy won

When she spied a Scots prisoner makin his mane

An she was the flow'r o' Northumberland

"O, gin a lassie wad borrow me

O gin her love it was easy won

I would mak' her a lady o' high degree

If she'd louse me out frae my prison sae strang"

So she's gang doun tae her faither's guid stables

Oh but her love it was easy won

An she's stole the best horse that was baith fleet an able

For tae carry them ower tae bonnie Scotland

But as they were ridin' across yon Scots muir

He cried, "O but yer love it was easy won

Get you doun frae my horse ye're a brazen-faced whoure

Although you're the flow'r o' Northumberland"

"It's cook in yer kitchen, I surely will be

Oh but my love it was easy won

For I canna' gae back to my ain country

Altho I'm the flow'r o' Northumberland"

"Well I hae a wife in my ain countrie

Oh but your love it was easy won

And I canna' dae nothin' wi' a lassie like ye

You'll need to go back to Northumberland"

Bit when she gaed hame, her faither did froun an said

Oh but her love it was easy won

To gang wi' a Scotsman and you're barely sixteen

And you were the flow'r o' Northumberland"

But when she gaed ben her mother did smile, sayin'

Oh but your love it was easy won

But ye're no the first that yon Scots hath beguiled

And you're ayou welcome hame tae Northumberland"

"For you wouldna want breid and you wouldna want wine

Oh but your love it was easy won

And you wouldna want siller to buy a man wi'

And you're ayou the fair flow'r o' Northumberland"