Traditional
Johnnie rose up in the May morning,
Called for water to wash his hands.
Says, 'Gae lowse tae me my twa grey dogs,
That lie bound in iron bands,
That lie bound in iron bands.'
When Johnnie's mother heard o this,
Her hands for dule she wrang,
Says, 'Johnnie, for your venison,
To the greenwood dinna gang.'
But he has taen his guid bend-bow,
His arrows one by one,
And he's awa to the greenwood gane,
To ding the dun deer doon.
Johnnie shot and the dun deer lap,
And he wounded her on the side;
Atween the water and the woods,
The grey dogs laid her pride.
They ate so much o the venison,
And drank so much o the bleed,
That Johnnie and his twa hgrey dogs
Fell asleep as they'd been deid.
By there cam a silly auld man,
An ill death may he dee,
And he's awa tae Esslemont
The seven foresters for to see.
'As I cam in by Monymusk,
And doon among thon scrogs,
There I saw the bonniest youth,
Lyin sleepin atween twa dogs.
The buttons that were on his sleeves
Were o the gowd sae guid,
The twa dogs that he lay atween,
Their mouths were dyed wi bleed.'
Then oot an spak the first forester,
He was headsman ower them a,
'Gin this be Jock o Braidiesley
Unto him we will draw.'
The first shot that the forester fired
It wounded him on the knee;
The next shot that the forester fired
His heart's bleed blint his ee.
Then up rose Johnnie oot o his sleep,
And an angry man wis he;
Says, 'Ye micht hae waukened me frae sleep,
For my heart's blood blins my ee.'
He leaned his back against an oak,
His foot against a stone,
And he has fired at the seven foresters,
And he's killed them all but one.
He has broken four o this man's ribs,
His arm and his collar bone,
And he has set him on his horse,
To carry the tidings home.
Johnnie's guid bend-bow is broke,
And his twa grey dogs are slain;
And his body lies in Monymusk,
And his huntin days are deen.