I STOLE A TWISTED WOODEN RAKE
FROM witch ON YONDER HILL
YET KNEW IT NOT A GRAVE MISTAKE
TILL I HAD GROWN SO ILL

SO BACK TO YONDER witch I WENT
SEEKING HER SAGE ADVICE
ADVISED SHE 'GIVE THE RAKE AWAY'
YET MENTIONED NOT ITS PRICE

yon rake was wrought from hoary tree
an Elder and a Yew
its touch does bear a fatal chill
and whiten a man's hue

I GAVE THE TWISTED WOODEN RAKE
TO MARIANNE MACFINN
FOR JILTING ME THAT AUTUMN DANCE
AND CAUSING ME CHAGRIN

WELL MARIANNE DID DIE THAT NIGHT
AND LIES NOW IN HER GRAVE
THAT WAS MY FIRST ACCOUNT WITH DEATH
AND DID ME FROM IT SAVE

yon rake was wrought from hoary tree
an Elder and a Yew
its touch does bear a fatal chill
and whiten a man's hue

THE RAKE WAS PASSED TO MOURNING KIN
WHO PUT IT UP FOR GOOD
THAT CLAN IS NOW ALL PUT TO REST
BUT NOT THAT AWFUL WOOD

THE TOOL, IT SOLD AT TOWN AUCTION
AND DOZENS IT LAID LOW
TILL NAUGHT WAS SPOKE IN TOWN THAT YEAR
SAVE WHERE THE DEAD SHOULD GO

yon rake was wrought from hoary tree
an Elder and a Yew
its touch does bear a fatal chill
and whiten a man's hue

TEN SCORE IN LIVES IT CLAIMED AT LAST
TEN SCORE THAT BREATH NO MORE
TEN SCORE THAT PAID MY GHASTLY DEBT
FOR THAT I DID IMPLORE

YON RAKE IS BURIED WITH YON witch
IN STONES UPON YON HILL
YET HEAVY IS MY CONSCIOUS NOW
AND NOW, MY HEART IS STILL.