| Bonnie Mae a-shepherding has gone
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| To call the sheep to the fold
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| And aye, as she sang, her bonny voice, it rang
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| Right over the tops of the downs, downs
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| Over the tops of the downs
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| There came a troop of gentlemen
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| As they were riding by
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| And one of them has lighted down
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| And he’s asked of her the way, the way
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| He’s asked of her the way
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| «Ride on, ride on, you rank riders
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| Your steeds are stout and strong
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| For it’s out of the fold I will not go
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| For fear you’ll do me wrong, wrong
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| Fear you’ll do me wrong»
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| Now he’s taken her by the middle jip
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| And by the green gown sleeve
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| And there he’s had his will of her
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| And he’s asked of her no leave, no leave
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| He’s asked of her no leave
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| «Oh I’ve ridden east and I’ve ridden west
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| And I’ve ridden o’er the downs
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| But the bonniest lass that ever I saw
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| Is calling her sheep to the fold»
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| She has taken the milk pail on her head
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| And she’s gone lingering home
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| And all her father said to her
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| Was, «Daughter, you’ve done me wrong, wrong
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| Daughter, you’ve done me wrong»
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| Now twenty weeks were gone and past
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| Twenty weeks and three
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| And the lassie began to fret and to frown
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| And to long for his twinkling eye, bright eye
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| Long for his twinkling eye
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| Now it fell on a day, and a bonny summer’s day
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| For she walked out alone
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| That selfsame troop of gentlemen
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| Came riding o’er the downs, downs
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| Riding o’er the downs
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| «Who got the babe with thee, Bonnie Mae?
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| Who got the babe in thy arms?»
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| For shame she blushed and aye, she said
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| «Oh I’ve a good man of my own»
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| «You lie, you lie, you bonny, bonny Mae
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| So loud I hear you lie
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| Remember the misty, murky night
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| I lay in the fold with thee, with thee
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| I lay in the fold with thee
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| Now he’s lighted off his berry-brown steed
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| He’s set the fair Mae on
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| «Go call out your fold, good father, yourself
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| She’ll ne’er call them again, again
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| She’ll ne’er call them again»
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| For he’s the Lord of Achentrioch
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| With fifty plough and three
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| And he’s taken away the bonniest lass
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| In all the south country, country
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| In all the south country |