Well, Anita Best has a lovely version wherein the speech is a bit less flowery than those posted on this website, which I like to think is a result of "oral editing" to get things down to the "brass tacks'.. A few of the differences from what I've seen posted here....
"There was a lady in the west,she was clothed all in green,and she was sitting by her chamber window when she saw the ships sail in [last line is always repeated, and the first and last time around the first measure has 5 beats rather than 4 ."Saw", for example being articulated over two beats. More differences in the verses...'if John Barbour is his name, it's hanged he'll surely be...if you hangs John Barbour ,father she cried tou will get[get has two beats or foot taps] no good of me....then; "he called down his servants all, by one by two by three, John Barbour was the first he called but the last came down was he [last gets 2 beats]. Then;"He came down, a tripping down, he was clothed all in white"...etc....And the last line,'If you can give her one guinea, to that I can give three, although they calls me the young Barbour that plows[2 beats] the raging sea..Hard to describe...hopefully Anita has recorded it on a C.D.