Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Ballads and songs of Ayrshire > Volume 2

THE FAIRY LADY OF DUNURE.
And he felt so rejoic'd they were left alone,
That the night flew away, and the morning shone.
As if never a night had been.
Then all the bright beings assembled anew,
In fresh robes of their hunting green ;
And two riderless steeds of a milk-white hue,
With rich golden trappings all sparkling and new,
Came bounding, and neigh'd to be seen.
So the Knight and his Lady are mounted at once
On this bounding and beautiful pair;
Then hounds all uncoupled and eager advance,
And away the whole cavalcade shoot with a glance.
And fly thi'ough the soft yielding air.
But not to destroy, like the Nimrods of earth.
Those fleet skimming hunters proceed;
But all for amusement, good humour and mirth —
For the roe, when they near it, they let it fly forth,
And another starts up in its stead.
O'er fields of fresh verdure, and flowers of fresh die,
And rivers of sweet-scented dew,
Tantivy! tantivy! the shout, and they fly.
And return to the palace as noon waxeth nigh.
Other fetes and delights to renew.
Thus, hunting and dancing, and loving by turns,
Months pleasant and rapid flew by;
Yet the heart of our Knight oft to Carrick returns.
Till weary at last, and repining, he mourns
For Dunure and his own cloudy sky.
And one fine lovely night, as unconscious he sigh'd.
While he walk'd with his Lady alone,
" 0, the home of my fathers !" he longingly cried.
And ere ever his words on the echoes had died,
They both stood on his own hearth-stone.
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