Instead o' dancers to dance a dance, Or minstrels for to play, Were four-and-twenty well-wight men Her seven sons in seven swans, This flock o' birds took flight and flew Beyond the raging sea; They landed near the Earl Mar's castle, And took shelter in every tree. They were a flock o' pretty birds, These birds flew out frae bush and tree, And lichted on the ha'; And, when the wedding-train cam' forth, Flew down amang them a'. The storks they seized the boldest men, The swans they bound the bridegroom fast They flew around the bride-maidens, Around the bride's own head; And, wi' the twinkling o' an ee, The bride and they were fled. There's ancient men at weddings been But siccan a curious wedding-day For naething could the company do, Unknown THE TWA SISTERS THERE was twa sisters in a bower, There was twa sisters in a bower, Binnorie, O Binnorie; There was twa sisters in a bower, He courted the eldest wi' glove and ring, He courted the eldest wi' brooch and knife, The eldest she is vexèd sair, And much envied her sister fair. Into her bower she couldna rest, Wi' grief and spite she almost brast. Upon a morning fair and clear, She cried upon her sister dear: "O sister, come to yon sea-strand, And see our father's ships come to land.” She's ta'en her by the lily hand, The youngest stude upon a stane, She took her by the middle sma', "O sister, sister, reach your hand, "O sister, I'll not reach my hand, And I'll be heir of a' your land; "Shame fa' the hand that I should take, It's twinèd me and my world's mate." "O sister, reach me but your glove, And sweet William shall be your love." "Sink on, nor hope for hand or glove! And sweet William shall be my love. "Your cherry cheeks and your yellow hair, Garred me gang maiden evermair." Sometimes she sunk, and sometimes she swam, Until she cam to the miller's dam. O, out it cam the miller's son, And saw the fair maid swimmin' in. "O father, father, draw your dam! Here's either a mermaid, or a milk-white swan." The miller hasted and drew his dam, You couldna see her yellow hair, You couldna see her middle sma’, You couldna see her fingers white, A famous harper passing by, The sweet pale face he chanced to spy; And when he looked that lady on, He made a harp of her breast-bane, The strings he framed of her yellow hair, He brought it to her father's ha'; He laid his harp upon a stane, "O yonder sits my father, the king, "And yonder stands my brother Hugh, But the last tune that the harp played then, Was-“Wae to my sister, false Helen!" By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie. THE WIFE OF USHER'S WELL THERE lived a wife at Usher's Well, And a wealthy wife was she; They hadna been a week from her Whan word came to the carline wife, They hadna been a week from her, Whan word came to the carline wife, That her sons she'd never see. Unknown "I wish the wind may never cease, Nor fashes in the flood, Till my three sons come hame to me, In earthly flesh and blood!" It fell about the Martinmas, When nights are lang and mirk, The carline wife's three sons came hame, And their hats were o' the birk. It neither grew in syke nor ditch, That birk grew fair eneugh. "Blow up the fire, my maidens! For a' my house shall feast this night, And she had made to them a bed, Up then crew the red, red cock, The cock he hadna crawed but once, And clapped his wings at a', Whan the youngest to the eldest said, "Brother, we must awa'. "The cock doth craw, the day doth daw', The channerin' worm doth chide; Gin we be missed out o' our place, A sair pain we maun bide." |