Otterburn

by Tony Cuffe

Not surprisingly I found this Scottish Ballad because of a film. I was watching "The Man Who Never Was" (a great movie btw) and in the beginning and end the following quote is used: "Last night I dreamed a deadly dream, beyond the Isle of Skye, I saw a dead man win a fight, and I think that man was I". I looked up the quote and I found out that it was from a Scottish Ballad about the Battle of Otterburn. The Battle of Otterburn was a border skirmish between the English and Scottish in 1388 and the Scottish were the victors. Because I have a weak spot for ballads I looked around to see if I could find any songs based on the ballad and I came across this version.

lyrics:

It fell aboot the Lammas-tide when muir men win their hay
The doughty Douglas bound him ride tae England tae catch a prey
He's ta'en the Gordons and the Graemes and the Lindsays light and gay
The Jardines would not wi' him ride, they rue it tae this day

And he has burnt the dales o' Tyne and hairried Bambroughshire
The Otterdale he's burnt it hale and set it a' on fire
And he rade up tae Newcastle and rode it roond aboot
Sayin', Wha's the laird o' this castle, and wha's the lady o't

Then up spake proud Lord Percy then, and oh but he spak' high
I am the lord o' this castle, my wife's the lady gay
If thou'rt the lord o' this castle, sae weel it pleases me
For ere I cross the border fells the tane o' us shall dee (tane - one)

They lichted high on Otterburn upon the bent sae broon (lichted - set down, camped; bent - grass)
They lichted high on Otterburn and threw their broadswords doon
But up there spoke a bonnie boy before the break o' dawn
Sayin', Wake ye now, my good lords a', Lord Percy's near at han'

When Percy wi' the Douglas met I wat he was fu' fain (wat - know)
They swappit swords and sair they swat, the blood ran doon between
But Percy wi' his good broadsword that could sae sharply wound
Has wounded Douglas on the brow till he fell tae the ground

Oh, bury me 'neath the bracken bush that grows by yonder brier
Let never a living mortal ken that Douglas he lies here (ken - know)
They've lifted up that noble lord wi' the salt tear in their e'e
They've buried him 'neath the bracken bush that his merry men might not see

When Percy wi' Montgomery met that either of other were fain
They swappit swords and sair they swat, the blood ran doon like rain
This deed was done at Otterburn before the break of day

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