The love that I have chosen, I therewith be content
And the salt sea shall be frozen before that I repent
Repent it shall I never, until the day I dee
But the lowlands of Holland has twined my love and me

My love lies in the salt sea and I am on the side
It's enough to break a young thing's heart what lately was a bride
What lately was a bonny bride with pleasure in her e'e
But the lowlands of Holland has twined my love and me

My love, he built a bonny ship and set her on the sea
With seven score good mariners to bear her company
But there's three score of them is sunk and three score dead at sea
And the lowlands of Holland has twined my love and me

My love has built a nether ship and set her on the main
And nane but twenty mariners all for to bring her hame
But the weary wind began to rise, the sea began to roll
And my love then and his bonny ship turned with the shins about

Then shall nae a quiff come on my head, nor comb come in my hair
Then shall neither coal nor candlelight shine in my bower mair
And neither will I marry until the day I dee
For I never had a love but one and he's drowned in the sea

Oh hold your tongue my daughter dear, be still and be content
There's men enough in Galloway, you need not sore lament
Oh there's men enough in Galloway, alas there's none for me
For I never had a love but one and he's drowned in the sea

Child #92

Notes:
e'e; a Scottish variant of ' eye '
main; the high sea, the open part of a sea, esp. outside territorial waters.
nane; none
quiff; a prominent forelock
mair; a Scottish variant of ' more '
dee; a Scottish variant of 'die'