Traditional - arranged by Barbara Dickson)

from Gavin Greig's 'Last Leaves Of Traditional Ballads'


She sat down below a thorn
Fine flowers in the valley
And there she's kissed her babe newborn
And the green leaves they grow rarely

"Smile na sae sweet, my bonnie babe
Fine flowers in the valley
An ye smile sae sweet, ye will smile me deid"
And the green leaves they grow rarely

She's ta'en oot her wee pen knife
Fine flowers in the valley
And twined the sweet babe o' it's life
And the green leaves they grow rarely

She's howket a grave by the lecht o' the moon
Fine flowers in the valley
An' there she's buried her sweet babe in
And the green leaves they grow rarely

As she was going to the church
Fine flowers in the valley
She saw a sweet babe in the porch
And the green leaves they grow rarely

"O sweet babe, an' thou were mine
Fine flowers in the valley
I wad cleed thee in the silk sae fine"
And the grow leaves they grow rarely

O cruel mother, when I was thine
Fine flowers in the valley
Ye didna prove tae me sae kind
And the green leaves they grow rarely