Wounded Nancy’s Return.

‘Twas after a long and tedious voyage
Young Nancy came from the cruel wars,
Where, in the cause of king and country,
She gloried in her wounds and scars.
All side by side with her own true love,
This brave young lass fought valiantly;
And, with a courage most undaunted,
Followed up the enemy.

All clad in male attire, sweet Nancy
With her lover had set sail;
She said that only death should part them;
Dissuasions were of no avail.
No sooner landed than came orders
For our regiment to go
On the sudden forward boldly
To repel the haughty foe.

A sorrowing smile gave Nancy’s true love
As we into the field did ride,
With courage and strong resolution
To subdue the foeman’s pride.
All on a coal-black gelding mounted,
with a glittering sword in hand,
Young Nancy looked so smart and noble,
Waiting our officers’ command.

And, drawn up in line of battle,
Eager for the coming fray,
No sooner did the cannons rattle,
Than Nancy trembled in dismay.
But ere long her nerves grew stronger,
And Forward! was the battle-cry;
Said she aloud, Why should we falter?
We’ll be conquerors or die!

Then onward with our troopers rushing,
Sword in hand she cleared the way:
For many hours in equal balance
Hung the fortunes of the day.
Her true love was a handsome serjeant,
Who so manfully did ride;
Shielding her from all the dangers
Which came thick on every side.

Still in the very heat of action
Young Nancy she received a wound,
Which drove her lover to distraction,
as down she fell upon the ground.
He dared not stay to yield her succor,
As charging foremost in the fight;
One anxious look he cast behind him,
But the smoke obscured his sight.

In reckless manner plunging onward,
The frightened foe turned right about;
And following up our great advantage,
we put them utterly to rout.
Our serjeant, who ne’er shirked his duty,
From pursuit returning late;
Fatigued, he hastened quite downhearted,
To ascertain young Nancy’s fate.

There amid the dead and dying,
Some kindly hand a couch had made;
And patiently was Nancy lying,
Cheering those around her laid.
While her wound was being tended,
Said she, Frail mortals that we are—
There’s small occasion to be daunted,
‘Tis but the accident of war.

When she saw her true love bending
O’er her couch with streaming eyes,
She said, Don’t weep—still let us trust in
God who rules our destinies.
From the field he gently bore her,
And by her side watched night and day;
Till returning health came o’er her,
And safely she could come away.

Then to England home returning
With such joyous hearts and light,
For their valoir both rewarded
Were with glory’s stars bedight.
Doffing then her manly garments,
Nancy sought a happy life;
In presence of her former comrades,
She became the serjeant’s wife.

*Transcriber’s note: Dugaw’s catalogue contains multiple variants of this ballad; this is the first of the variants listed. To review other variants of this ballad, please consult the Dugaw catalogue.

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ESTC Citation Number: T205509