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.