Lament

of the

Border
Widow

traditional scottish ballad

for satb choir

Lament
 Lament
of the
Border Widow
traditional scottish ballad
for satb choir
Lament of the Border​ W ​ idow
Traditional Scottish Ballad
My love he built me a bonny bower,
And clad it a’ wi’ a lilye flower,
A brawer bower ye ne’er did see,
Than my true love he built for me.
There came a man, by middle day,
He spied his sport and went away,
And brought the king that very night,
Who brake my bower and slew my knight.
He slew my knight, to me so dear;
He slew my knight, and poined his gear;
My servants all for life did flee,
And left me in extremitie.
I sewed his sheet, making my mane;
I watched the corpse, myself alane;
I watched his body, night and day;
No living creature came that way.
I took his body on my back,
And whiles I gaed and whiles I sat,
I digged a grave, and laid him in,
And happed him with the sod so green.
But think na ye my heart was sair,
When I laid the moul’ on his yellow hair;
Think na ye my heart was wae,
When I turned about, away to gae?
Nae living man I’ll love again,
Since that my lovely knight is slain;
Why a lock of his yellow hair
I’ll chain my heart for evermair.
 Lament of the Border Widow
for Mr. Bragle and the World Youth Honors Choir
Scottish ballad Oliver Abrams

  
          
Grave ( = 54)  

 
Soprano

with a lil y flow'r, a

 
      
 

         
Alto

and clad it all with a lil y flow'r, a


                      
 

Tenor 
My love, he built me a bonn y bow'r, and clad it all with a lil y flow'r, a

       
  


Bass


    
a

      
           
         
    
Piano (Rehearsal)

   
                      
  

   
3

S.

braw er bow er ye ne'er did see, than my true love he built for me. there


               
  

          
A.

braw er bow er ye ne'er did see, than my true love he built for me. there


                            
  

T.

braw er bow er ye ne'er did see, than my true love built for me. there

  
          
             
  

B.

braw er bow er ye ne'er did see, than my true love built for me. there

  
          
       

     

     


  
                   
                     
Pno.
  
            
6
  

S.

came he spied, went a way, and


      
  

A.
   
came he spied and

        
            
  

T. 
came a man by midd le day, he spied his sport and went a way, and

                   
  

    
B.
   
came a man by midd le day, he spied his sport and went a way, and


spied

   
came and

         
        
                
          
Pno.

  
               
 


8

S.

brought the king who brake, slew my knight. He


         
 

   
        
A.

brought the king that ver y night, who brake my bow'r and slew my knight. He

        
              
 

T.

brought the king that ver y night, who brake my bow'r and slew my knight. He

            
         


      




B.

brought the king that ver y night, who brake and slew my knight. He


brought

    
   

          
    
 
  
            
             
Pno.

   

2
                 

       
10

S.

slew my knight, to me so dear; he slew my knight and poined his gear: my


                  
  
A.

slew my knight, to me so dear; he slew my knight and poined his gear: my

     
T. 
               
slew my knight, to me so dear; he slew my knight and poined his gear: my

               
B.
            
  
slew knight, to me so dear; he slew knight, poined his gear: my

          
       


   

    
   
  
               
        
Pno.

     

      
                
 

 
12

S.

ser vants all for life did flee, and left me in ex trem it y. I


                  
 

    

A.

ser vants all for life did flee, and left me in ex trem it y. I


                     
 

T.    
ser vants all for life did flee, and left me in ex trem it y. I

                  
 
 

B.
    
ser vants did flee, and left me in ex trem it y. I

   
         
         
     


             
  
          
Pno.

       
3
      
                        
14

 
S.
sewed his sheet, mak ing my mane; I watched the corpse, my self a lone;

   
               

A.

sewed his sheet, I watched the corpse, my self a lone;


T.              
sewed his sheet, I watched the corpse, I

            
B.
         
sewed his sheet, I watched the corpse, I

    
           
         
 
          
            
    
Pno.

     

        

                
18
 

 
S.

I watched his bod y, night and day; no liv ing crea ture came that way.

 
 
 

A.
             
watched his bod y, and day; liv ing crea ture came that way.


               
 


T.

watched his bod y, and day; none came that way.

        
       
 

B.
         
watched his bod y, and day; none came that way.

     
                       
           

        
     
Pno.

         

4
      
              


      
22

S.

I took his bod y on my back, and whiles I gaed and, whiles I sat, I


                     


   
A.

I took his bod y on my back, and whiles I gaed and, whiles I sat, I

    
                     


T.
I took his bod y on my back, and whiles I gaed and, whiles I sat, I

                     



B.
         
I took his bod y on my back, and whiles I gaed and, whiles I sat, I

  
          
            
         

                      
       
Pno.

   

   
                        
25

S.

dug a grave and laid him in, and happed him with the sod so green. But

  
           
             
A.

dug a grave and laid him in, and happed him with the sod so green. But

 
T.                            

                     
dug a grave and laid him in, and happed him with the sod so green. But

    
B.
    
dug a grave and laid him in, and happed him with the sod so green. But

  
    
          
        
 
   
                          
        
Pno.

5
        
       
28


S.

think my heart was sair, when I

 
 


     
  
A.

think nay ye my heart was sair, when I

   
        


T.  
think nay ye my heart was sair, when I

     
   


B.
     


think my heart was sair, when I

             
 
     
           
    
Pno.

   

       
   
29

S.


laid yell ow hair; his yell ow hair; but

   
A.

laid but

       
T.    
laid the moul' on his yell ow hair; but

            
B.
      
laid the moul' on his yell ow hair; but
his yell ow hair;


laid

  
  

  

 

    
        
      
Pno.

 
6
      
     


     
30

S.

think ne ye when I turned to gae?

 
 
               
A.

think ne ye my heart was wae, when I turned a bout, a way to gae?

                 
T.       
think ne ye my heart was wae, my heart was wae, when I turned a bout, a way to gae? a

            
B.
             
 
think ne ye my heart was wae, when I turned a bout, a way to gae? a


think my heart was wae,

            
                   

       
           
Pno.

      

                
          
32
Rit.  a tempo

Solo

       
 
nay liv ing man I'll love a gain, since that my love ly knight is slain; why

S. 

  
  


 
()

A.
    
mm why

     
       



()

T.

way to gae? mm why

            
 

B.

    
way to gae? why

     
  

 
  


   
   



               

Pno.

7
       
           
35
soloist returns to sops subito meno mosso
Solo

     
  


 
lock of his yell ow hair

S.
I'll

  
      


A.   
lock yell ow hair I'll

  
         


T. 
lock yell ow hair yell ow hair, I'll

           
 

B.
   
lock his his yell ow hair, I'll

  
        
    


 
         
        
Pno.

         
         
 

 
37

S.

chain my heart for ev er more, for ev er more.

   
      
 

A.       
chain my heart for ev er more, ev er more.

    
         
 

T.   
chain my heart for ev er more, ev er more.

          
      


 


B.
     
chain my heart for ev er more, ev er more.

      
             
        
    
          
      

Pno.

     
8