Fair Lady Isabel sat sewing in her room,

As the daisies so merrily swayed in bloom.

She heard an elf-knight on his horn play,

On that first morning in the month of May.

“I wish I had that horn I heard blown,

And indeed, that elf-knight for my own.”

She had scarcely these words spoken,

When he appeared at the window that was open.

“It is a strange matter, fair maiden,” said he,

“I had blown my horn, and you called on me.

With me will you go to the forest side?

If you cannot come, I will give you a ride.”

He leapt on a horse, and she on another,

And they rode on to the forest together.

“Jump down, jump down, Lady Isabel,” said he,

We have reached the place where your death shall be.”

“Have mercy, have mercy, dear knight, on me,

Until once more my father and mother I see.”

“Seven king’s daughters here I have slain,

And as the eighth, here you will remain.”

“Let’s sit down awhile, lay your head on my knee,

That we may have some rest before you do kill me.”

As she stroked his hair, the nearer he did creep,

With a small charm, she lulled him fast asleep.

With his own belt so strong, she bound him,

With his own sword so sharp, she stabbed him.

“If seven king’s daughters you’ve caused to fall,

Lie you here, a husband now to them all.”

TL;DR

Works Cited

“Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight.” English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Vol. 1, edited by Francis James Child, Dover Publications, 1882, pp. 55-59.

Additional Links/Notes

I’ve previously told the story of Fair Lady Isabelle using this poem as inspiration but for the sake of the narrative was forced to cut some things from the original. I decided that I like the poem well enough that I’d give it the same treatment that I did for Robin Hood and the Potter.

I’ve kept the original title to this poem which comes from the second line of Child’s Balland #4A:

Fair lady Isabel sits in her bower sewing,

Aye as the gowans grow gay

There she heard an elf-knight blawing his horn.

The first morning in May

Gowans is a Scottish word meaning daisies, hence my version having “As the daisies so merrily swayed in bloom.”