Lyrics:

Well, an outlandish knight from the northern lands came,
He came wooing of me;
He told me he'd take me up to the north lands,
There he would marry me.

“Go fetch me some of your father's gold,
Some of your mother's fee,
And two of the best of your father's horses,
There stands thirty and three.”

She's fetched him some of her father's gold,
Some of her mother's fee,
And two of the best of her father's horses,
There stands thirty and three.

Then she's mounted on her milk-white steed,
He's rode the dapple grey.
They rode till they came to the broad riverside,
Three hours before it was day.

“Light down, light down my pretty fair maid,
Light down, light down,” cried he,
“Six pretty maidens I've drowned here,
And the seventh one you shall be.”

“Pull off, pull off your silken gown,
Deliver it over to me.
For it is too fine and much too fair
To rot in the salt water sea.”

“Go get me a sickle to crop off the thistle
That grows beneath the brim,
It will not mingle with my curly locks
Or mangle my glittering skin.”

He's got the sickle to crop off the thistle
That grows beneath the brim,
She's caught him round by his middle so small,
Tumbled him into the stream.

Sometimes he sank, sometimes he swam,
Down to the bank came he.
“Oh help me, oh help me, my pretty fair maid,
Or drowned I shall be”

“Lie there, lie there, you false-hearted man,
Lie there instead of me,
Six pretty maidens you've drowned here.
But the seventh one has drowned thee.”

She's mounted on her milk-white steed,
And led the dapple grey,
She rode till she came to her father's door
An hour before it was day.

But the parrot was up in his window so high;
On hearing the lady, he did say,
“I was afraid that some ruffians had done you harm,
You've tarried so long before day.”

“Don't prittle, don't prattle, my pretty Polly,
Don't tell no tales of me,
Your cage shall be made of the glistening gold,
And your perch of the best ivory.”

But her father was up in the bedroom so high,
Hearing the parrot, did say,
“What is the matter, my pretty Polly,
You've cried so long before day?”

“Oh, there came an old cat in my window high,
To take my life away,
And I was just calling my young mistress,
To scare that old pussy away.”