Duke of Gordon's three daughters (1870-1885)/The bonny House o' Airly

THE BONNY HOUSE OF AIRLY.

It fell on a day, and a bonny summer day,
⁠When the corn grew green and yellow,
That there fell out a great dispute
⁠Between Argyle and Airly.

Argyle has raised a hundred men,
⁠A hundred men and mairly;
And he has gone to the back of Dunkeld,
To plunder the bonny house of Airly.

The lady looked over her window,
⁠And O! but she looked weary,
And she espied the great Argyle
⁠Coming to plunder the bonny house of Airly.

Come down, come down, Madam he says,
⁠Come down and kiss me fairly;
I will not kiss thee, great Argyle,
⁠If you should not leave a standing stone in Airly.

He has ta'en her by the middle so small,
⁠Says, lady, where is your dowry?
It is up and down the bonny burn-side,
⁠Among the plantings of Airly.

They sought it up they sought it down,
⁠They sought it late and early,
And found it in the bonny palm tree,
⁠That shines on the bowling green of Airly.

He has ta'en her by the left shoulder,
⁠And O but she looked weary,
And laid her down on the green bank,
⁠Till he plundered the bonny, house of Airly.

O! if my lord was at home,
⁠As this night he's wi' Charlie,
Great Argyle and all his men
⁠Durst not plunder the bonny house of Airly.

'Tis ten bonny sons I have born,
⁠And the eleventh ne'er saw his daddie;
And if I had a hundred more
⁠I would give them all to Charlie.