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Traditional
- God prosper long our noble king, Our lives and safeties all;
A woeful hunting once there did, In Chevy Chase befall.
- The stout Earl of Northumberland, A vow to God did make,
His pleasure in the Scottish woods, Three summer's days to take;
- The ohiefest harts in Chevy Chase, To kill and bear away.
These tidings to Earl Douglas came, In Scotland where he lay:
- Who sent Earl Percy present word, He would prevent his sport.
The English earl, not fearing that, Did to the woods resort.
- With fifteen hundred bow-men bold, All chosen men of might,
Who knew full well in time of need, To aim their shafts aright.
- Lord Percy to the quarry went, To view the slaughtered deer.
Quoth he, Earl Douglas promised, This day to meet me here:
- Lo, yonder doth Earl Douglas come, His men in armour bright;
Full twenty hundred Scottish spears, All marching in our sight.
- Earl Douglas on his milk-white steed, Most like a baron bold,
Rode foremost of his company, Whose armour shone like gold.
- Show me, said he, whose men you be, That hunt so boldly here
That, without my consent, do chase, And kill my fallow-deer.
- Ere thus I will out-braved be, One of us two shall die:
I know thee well, an earl thou art; Lord Percy, so am I.
- Let thou and I the battle try, And set our men aside.
Accurst be he, Earl Percy said, By whom this is denied.
- With that, there came an arrow keen, Out of English bow,
Which struck Earl Douglas to the heart, A deep and deadly blow:
- Who never spake more words than these, Fight on, my merry men all;
For why, my life is at an end; Lord Percy sees my fall.
- This fight did last from break of day, Till setting of the sun;
For when they rung the evening-bell, The battle scarce was done.
- God save our king, and bless this land, With plenty, joy, and peace;
And grant henceforth, that foul debate, 'Twixt noblemen may cease.
From the collection Songs From Hazzards Huzzah