When day was gane, and night was come, About the evening tide, This lady spied a sprightly youth Stand straight up by her side.
“From whence came ye, young man?” she said; “That does surprise me sair; My door was bolted right secure, What way hae ye come here?”
“O had your tongue, ye lady fair, Lat a’ your folly be; Mind ye not on your turtle-doo Last day ye brought wi thee?”
“O tell me mair, young man,” she said, “This does surprise me now; What country hae ye come frae? What pedigree are you?”
“My mither lives on foreign isles, She has nae mair but me; She is a queen o wealth and state, And birth and high degree.
“Likewise well skilld in magic spells, As ye may plainly see, And she transformd me to yon shape, To charm such maids as thee.
“I am a doo the live-lang day, A sprightly youth at night; This aye gars me appear mair fair In a fair maiden’s sight.
“And it was but this verra day That I came ower the sea; Your lovely face did me enchant; I’ll live and dee wi thee.”
“O Cow-me-doo, my luve sae true, Nae mair frae me ye’se gae;” “That’s never my intent, my luve, As ye said, it shall be sae.”
“O Cow-me-doo, my luve sae true, It’s time for us to wed;” “Wi a’ my heart, my dear marrow, It’s be as ye hae said.”
Then he has staid in bower wi her For sax lang years and ane, Till sax young sons to him she bare, And the seventh she’s brought hame.
But aye as ever a child was born He carried them away, And brought them to his mither’s care, As fast as he coud fly.
Thus he has staid in bower wi her For twenty years and three; There came a lord o high renown To court this fair ladie.
But still his proffer she refused, And a’ his presents too; Says, “I’m content to live alane Wi my bird, Cow-me-doo.”
Her father sware a solemn oath Amang the nobles all, “The morn, or ere I eat or drink, This bird I will gar kill.”
The bird was sitting in his cage, And heard what they did say; And when he found they were dismist, Says, “Wae’s me for this day!
“Before that I do langer stay, And thus to be forlorn, I’ll gang unto my mither’s bower, Where I was bred and born.”
Then Cow-me-doo took flight and flew Beyond the raging sea, And lighted near his mither’s castle, On a tower o gowd sae hie.
As his mither was wauking out, To see what she coud see, And there she saw her little son, Set on the tower sae hie.