The Book of Scottish Song/The Lawlands of Holland

The Lawlands of Holland.

[Marshall's tune, called "Miss Admiral Gordon's Strathspey," composed for the song "Of a' the airts the wind can blaw," is formed on the fine old air of "The Lawlands of Holland." The words themselves are said to be the lamentation of a young widow in Galloway, whose husband was drowned in a voyage to Holland, about the beginning of the last century.]

The luve that I had chosen,
⁠Was to my heart's content,
The saut sea will be frozen
⁠Before that I repent;
Repent it will I never;
⁠Until the day I dee,
Tho' the lawlands o' Holland
⁠Ha'e twined my luve and me.

My luve lies in the salt sea,
⁠And I am on the side,
Enough to break a young thing's heart
⁠Wha lately was a bride;
Wha lately was a bonnie bride,
⁠And pleasure in her e'e;
But the lawlands o' Holland
⁠Ha'e twined my luve and me.

My luve he built a bonnie ship,
⁠And sent her to the sea,
Wi' seven score brave mariners
⁠To bear her companie;
Threescore gaed to the bottom,
⁠And threescore died at sea,
And the lawlands o' Holland
⁠Ha'e twined my love and me.

My luve has built anither ship,
⁠And sent her to the main,
He had but twenty mariners,
⁠And a' to bring her hame;
The stormy clouds did roar again,
⁠The raging waves did rout,
And my luve, and his bonnie ship,
⁠Turn'd widdershins about!

There shall nae mantle cross my back,
⁠Nae comb come in my hair,
Neither sal coal or candle light,
⁠Shine in my bowit mair;
Nor sal I ha'e anither luve,
⁠Until the day I dee,
I never lo'ed a luve but ane,
⁠And he's drown'd in the sea.

O, haud your tongue, my daughter dear,
⁠Be still, and be content,
There are mair lads in Galloway,
⁠Ye need nae sair lament.
O! there is nane in Galloway,
⁠There 's nane at a' for me,
For I never lov'd a lad but ane,
⁠And he 's drown'd in the sea.

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