l a m e n t 

 
o f t h e  

b o r d e r   
w i d o w 
 
 
 
oliver abrams 
traditional scottish ballad 
for satb 
 
 
 l a m e n t o f t h e​ b
​ o r d e r w i d o w 
 
 
oliver abrams 
 
traditional scottish ballad 
 
for satb 
 
 
Lament of the Border​​Widow  I sewed his sheet, making my mane; 
Traditional Scottish Ballad  I watched the corpse, myself alane; 
  I watched his body, night and day;  
My love he built me a bonny bower,   No living creature came that way. 
And clad it a’ wi’ a lilye flower,   
A brawer bower ye ne’er did see,  I took his body on my back,  
Than my true love he built for me.  And whiles I gaed and whiles I sat,  
  I digged a grave, and laid him in, 
  And happed him with the sod so green. 
There came a man, by middle day,   
He spied his sport and went away,  But think na ye my heart was sair,  
And brought the king that very night,  When I laid the moul’ on his yellow hair; 
Who brake my bower and slew my  Think na ye my heart was wae,  
knight.  When I turned about, away to gae? 
   
  Nae living man I’ll love again, 
He slew my knight, to me so dear;  Since that my lovely knight is slain; 
He slew my knight, and poined his gear;  Why a lock of his yellow hair 
My servants all for life did flee,   I’ll chain my heart for evermair.  
And left me in extremitie.