He's followed her up and he followed her down
And into the room where she lay
She hadn't the strength for to flee from his arms
Nor the tongue for to answer him nay
"Rise up, rise up, my pretty Polly
Rise up and go with me
And I will take you to North Scotland
And there you'll married be
Go fetch you a bag of your father's gold
And some of your mother's fee
And two fine horses out of the stable
Where there stands thirty and three"
So she's lit upon her nimble-going brown
He's mounted the dapple-gray
And when they came to North Scotland
'Twas just three hours 'til day
"Light you down, light you down, my pretty Polly
Light you down, I say to thee
For six kings' daughters have I drowned here
And the seventh will surely be thee
And pull off, pull off your fine gay clothes
And hang them on yonder tree
For they are too fine and they cost too much
To rot in the salt lake sea"
"Well, then you take a sickle and you cut down the nettles
That grow so close to the brim
For I fear they'll tangle my long yellow hair
And they'll tear my lily-white skin"
So then he took a sickle and he cut down the nettles
That grow so close to the brim
And she's picked him up so skillfully
And she's pushed the false knight in
"Lie there, lie there, my false young man
Lie there in the room of me
For six kings' daughters have you drowned here
And the seventh has drowned thee"
So she's lit upon her nimble-going brown
And she's lead the dapple-gray
And when she came to her father's door
'Twas just three hours 'til day
"Hush up, hush up, my pretty Polly bird
And don't you tell tales on me
Your cage will be made of the very beaten gold
And the door of the best ivory"
But then up spoke a fine young man
In the chamber where he lay
"What's the matter, what's the matter with my pretty Polly bird?
You're talking so long before day"
"Oh There's two black cats at my caging door
And my life they will betray
And I'm just calling for my pretty Polly
To drive those cats away"
He followed her up and he followed her down
And into the room where she lay
She hadn't the strength for to flee from his arms
Nor the tongue for to answer him nay