The Three Ravens/Twa Corbies

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing.
~Edgar Allan Poe

For Poetry Friday, A traditional poem/folk song with two versions: English and Scottish. Here's the English one:



The Three Ravens

There were three ravens sat on a tree,
Down a down, hey down a down,
They were as black as black could be
With a down;
Then one of them said to his mate,
Where shall we our breakfast take?
With a hey derry down.

Down in yonder green field,
There lies a knight slain under his shield;
His hounds they lie down at his feet
So well do they their master keep.

His hawks they fly so eagerly,
There's no fowl that dare him come nigh;
Down there comes a fallow doe,
As great with young as she might go.

She lifted up his bloody head,
And kissed his wounds that were so red;
She got him up upon her back
And carried him to earthen lake.

She buried him before the prime,
She was dead herself ere evensong time;
God send every gentleman,
Such hawks, such hounds, and such a leman.

Author unknown

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wet crow visitor

In the Scottish version, The Twa Corbies, no one stops the birds from eating the dead knight...



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P.S. I almost forgot! Last chance to sign up for the Summer Poem Swap.

P.P.S. I am not sure whether to interpret the difference between the two songs as the Scots being grim or the Scots saying "the heck with nobles," but I am leaning toward the second, haha.

TeacherDance has the Poetry Friday round-up. Thanks, Linda!