Sick, sick and too-too sick

1. It befell at Martinmas
 when weather waxèd* cold,
Captain Kėr sa͞id to his men,
 ‘We must go take a hold.’

Chorus:
Sick, sick and too-too sick,
 and sick and like to die;
The sickest night that ever I abode,
 God Lord have mėrcȳ on me.

2. ‘Hail, master, and whither you will,
 and whither ye like it best.’
‘To the castle of Craickernbrough;
 and there we will take our rest.

Chorus

3. ‘I know where is a gay castle,
 is builded of lime and stone,
Within there is a gay ladȳ,
 her lord is ridden and gone.’

Chorus

4. The ladȳ she leanèd on her castle wall,
 she looked up and down;
There was she ’ware of an host of men,
 come riding to the town.

Chorus

5. ‘See you, my merrȳ men all,
 and see you what I see;
Yonder I see an host of men,
 I muse who they be.’

Chorus

6. She thought he had been her wed lord,
 as he comed riding home;
Then was it traitor Captain Ker,
 the lord of Easter town.

Chorus

7. They were no sooner at supper set,
 then after sa͞id the grace,
Or Captain Ker and all his men
 were light about the place.

Chorus

8. ‘Give o’er this house, thou ladȳ gay,
 and I will make thee a band;
Tonight thou shall lie within my arms,
 tomorrow thou shall heir my land.’

Chorus

9. Then bespake the eldest son,
 that was both white and red,
‘O mother dear, give o’er your house,
 or else we shall be dead.’

Chorus

10. ‘I will not give o’er my house,’ she saith,
 ‘not for fear of my life;
It shall be talked throughout the land,
 the slaughter of a wife;

Chorus

11. ‘Fetch me my pistolet,
 and charge me my gun,
That I may shoot at yonder blo͝odȳ butcher,
 the lord of Easter town.’

Chorus

12. Stiffly upon her wall she stood,
 and let the pellets flee,
But then she missed the blo͝odȳ butcher,
 and she slew other three.

Chorus

13. ‘I will not give o’er my house,’ she saith,
 ‘ne͝ither for lord nor loon,
Nor yet for traitor Captain Ker,
 the lord of Easter town.

Chorus

14. ‘I desire of Captain Ker,
 and all his blo͝odȳ band,
That he would save my eldest son,
 the heir of all my land.’

Chorus

15. ‘Lap him in a sheet’, he saith,
 ‘and let him down to me,
And I shall take him in my arms,
 his wȧrrant shall I be.’

Chorus

16. The captain sa͞id unto himself;
 with speed before the rest,
He cut his tŏngue out of his head,
 his heart out of his breast.

Chorus

17. He lapped them in a handkerchief,
 and knit it of knots three,
And cast them o’er the castle wall
 at that gay ladȳ.

Chorus

18. ‘Fie upon thee, Captain Kėr,
 and all thy blo͝odȳ band,
For thou hast slain my eldest son,
 the heir of all my land.’

Chorus

19. Then bespake the yọungest son,
 that sat on the nurse’s knee,
Saith, ‘Mother gay, give o’er your house,
 it smouldereth me.’

Chorus

20. ‘I would give my gold,’ she saith,
 ‘and so I would my fee,
For a blast of the western wīnd
 to drive the smoke from thee.

Chorus

21. ‘Fie upon thee, John Hamilton,
 that ever I paid thee hi͞re,
For thou hast broken my castle wall,
 and kindled in the fi͞re.’

Chorus

22. The ladȳ gat to her close parlor,
 the fi͞re fell about her head;
She took up her children three,
 saith, ‘Babes, we are all dead.’

Chorus

23. Then bespake the high steward,
 that is of high degree;
Saith, ‘Ladȳ gay, you are in close,
 whether ye fight or flee.’

Chorus

24. Lord Hamilton dreamed in his dream,
 in Kervall where he lay,
His hall were all of fi͞re,
 his ladȳ slain or day.

Chorus

25. ‘Busk and boun, my merrȳ men all,
 e’en and go ye with me,
For I dreamed that my hall was on fi͞re,
 my ladȳ slain or day.’

Chorus

26. He busked him and bounèd him,
 and like a wȯrthȳ knight,
And when he saw his hall burning,
 his heart was no deal light.

Chorus

27. He set a trumpet till his mouth,
 he blew as it pleased his grace;
Twentȳ score of Hamiltons
 was light about the place.

Chorus

28. ‘Had I known as much yesternight
 as I do today,
Captain Kėr and all his men
 should not have gone so quite away.

Chorus

29. ‘Fie upon thee, Captain Kėr,
 and all thy blo͝odȳ band;
Thou hast slain my ladȳ gay,
 more wȯrth then all thy land.

Chorus

30. ‘If thou had ought anȳ ill will,’ he saith,
 ‘thou should have taken my life,
And have saved my children three,
 all and my lovesome wife.’

Chorus