Eliza & Martin Carthy - Bonny Moorhen lyrics

You brave lads of Weardale, I pray lend an ear The account of a battle you quickly shall hear Fought by the miners so well you may ken Claimin' a right 2 their bonny moorhen Now this bonny moorhen, as she plainly appeared Belonged 2 the miners some hundreds of years The miners of Weardale they're all gallant men They'll fight till they die for their bonny moorhen Now the miners in Weardale, they're bred 2 the game Level their piece & make sure of their aim; When the bonny moorhen she mounts up in the air They will bring her down neatly, I vow & declare Now, times bein' hard, provisions bein' dear The miners were starvin' almost we do hear They'd nought 2 depend on, so well you may ken But 2 make what they could of their bonny moorhen But the fat man of Auckland & Durham the same Laid claim 2 the moors & likewise 2 the game Sent word 2 the miners they'd have them 2 ken They would stop them from shootin' the bonny moorhen Now these word was carried 2 Weardale with speed, It made those poor miners 2 hang down their heads Sent them an answer they'd have them 2 ken They would fight till they died for their bonny moorhen When this word it reached 2 the gentlemen’s ears An army was risen, it quickly appears Land stewards, bum bailiffs, & gamekeepers 2 Were all ordered 2 Weardale 2 fight their way through Now a captain was wanted at the head of the clan H Wye, of great Oakland, was choosed for their man His legs were 2 short & not fit for the stocks & his head not so hard for 2 suffer the knocks This captain he had an attack dog of his own Taught by her master 'twas very well known Either beggars or tinkers, she'll pull off their bags & if that would not do she would rive them 2 rags Now this army set out straight away as we hear H Wye in the front, attack dog in the rear They marched on 2 Wolsingham, then they made a halt Concernin' the battle began 2 consult For they heard that the miners' grand army was strong & the captain that led them was full six foot long That put H Wye in a bodily fear & back great Oakland he wished for 2 steer Up spoke the gamekeepers: cheer up, never fear Through Stanhope, through Weardale the way we will clear In Durham or Oakland we'll never have said That by a few miners our army was beat Now this battle was fought, fought in Stanhope town Where the chimneys did reek & the soot it fell down Such a battle was never fought in Stanhope before & I hope such a battle will never be fought more For they unhorsed the riders straightway on the plain H Wye & his attack dog in the battle was slain Them that ran fastest got pushed out of town & away they went home with their tails hangin' down Now the bonny moorhen, she's got feathers anew Many fine colors, & none of them blue The miners of Weardale, they're all gallant men They'll fight till they die for their bonny moorhen