Motherwell's MS., p. 104. From Mrs King, Kilbarchan.
1
There were three sisters lived in a bouir,
Hech, hey, my Nannie O
And the youngest was the fairest flouir.
And the swan swims bonnie O
2
'O sister, sister, gang down to yon sand,
And see your father's ships coming to dry land.'
3
O they have gane down to yonder sand,
To see their father's ships coming to dry land.
4
'Gae set your fit on yonder stane,
Till I tye up your silken goun.'
5
She set her fit on yonder stane,
And the auldest drave the youngest in.
6
'O sister, sister, tak me by the hand,
And ye'll get a' my father's land.
7
'O sister, sister, tak me by the gluve,
An ye'll get Willy, my true luve.'
8
She had a switch into her hand,
And ay she drave her frae the land.
9
O whiles she sunk, and whiles she swam,
Until she swam to the miller's dam.
10
The miller's daughter gade doun to Tweed,
To carry water to bake her bread.
11
'O father, O father, what's yon in the dam?
It's either a maid or a milk-white swan.'
12
They have tane her out till yonder thorn,
And she has lain till Monday morn.
13
She hadna, hadna twa days lain,
Till by there came a harper fine.
14
He made a harp o her breast-bane,
That he might play forever thereon.
H.
Motherwell's MS., p. 147. From I. Goldie, March, 1825.
1
There were three sisters lived in a hall,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
And there came a lord to court them all.
At the bonnie bows o London town
2
He courted the eldest with a penknife,
And he vowed that he would take her life.
3
He courted the youngest with a glove,
And he said that he'd be her true love.
4
'O sister, O sister, will you go and take a walk,
And see our father's ships how they float?
5
'O lean your foot upon the stone,
And wash your hand in that sea-foam.'
6
She leaned her foot upon the stone,
But her eldest sister has tumbled her down.
7
'O sister, sister, give me your hand,
And I'll make you lady of all my land.'
8
'O I'll not lend to you my hand,
But I'll be lady of your land.'
9
'O sister, sister, give me your glove,
And I'll make you lady of my true love.'
10
'It's I'll not lend to you my glove,
But I'll be lady of your true love.'
11
Sometimes she sank, and sometimes she swam,
Until she came to a miller's dam.
12
The miller's daughter was coming out wi speed,
For water for to bake some bread.
13
'O father, father, stop the dam,
For it's either a lady or a milk-white swan.'
14
He dragged her out unto the shore,
And stripped her of all she wore.
15
By cam a fiddler, and he was fair,
And he buskit his bow in her bonnie yellow hair.
16
By cam her father's harper, and he was fine,
And he made a harp o her bonny breast-bone.
17
When they came to her father's court,
The harp [and fiddle these words] spoke:
18
'O God bless my father the king,
And I wish the same to my mother the queen.
19
'My sister Jane she tumbled me in,
. . . . . . .
* * * * *
I.
Kinloch MSS, V, 425. From the recitation of M.
Kinnear, 23d August, 1826.
1
There war twa sisters lived in a bouer,
Binnorie and Binnorie
There cam a squire to court them baith.
At the bonnie mill-streams o Binnorie
2
He courted the eldest with jewels and rings,
But he lovd the youngest the best of all things.
3
He courted the eldest with a penknife,
He lovd the youngest as dear as his life.
4
It fell ance upon a day
That these twa sisters hae gane astray.
5
It was for to meet their father's ships that had come in.
. . . . . . .
6
As they walked up the linn,
The eldest dang the youngest in.
7
'O sister, sister, tak my hand,
And ye'll hae Lud John and aw his land.'
8
With a silver wand she pushd her in,
. . . . . . .
9
'O sister, sister, tak my glove,
And ye sall hae my ain true love.'
10
The miller's dochter cam out wi speed.
It was for a water to bake her bread.
11
'O father, father, gae slack your dam;
There's either a white fish or a swan.'
* * * * *
12
Bye cam a blind fiddler that way,
And he took three tets o her bonnie yellow hair.
13
And the first spring that he playd,
It said, 'It was my sister threw me in.'
J.
Notes and Queries, 4th S., V, 23, from the north of
Ireland.
1
There were two ladies playing ball,
Hey, ho, my Nannie O
A great lord came to court them all.
The swan she does swim bonnie O
2
He gave to the first a golden ring,
He gave to the second a far better thing.
* * * * *
3
He made a harp of her breast-bone
. . . . . . .
4
He set it down upon a stone,
And it began to play its lone.
K.
Mr G.R. Kinloch's papers, Kinloch MSS, II, 59. From
Mrs Lindores.
1
'O sister, sister, gie me your hand,
Binnorie and Binnorie
And I'll give the half of my fallow-land,
By the bonnie mill-dams of Binnorie.'
* * * * *
2
The first time the bonnie fiddle played,
'Hang my sister, Alison,' it said,
'At the bonnie mill-dams of Binnorie.'
L.
a. From oral tradition, Notes and Queries, 1st S.,
V, 316. b. The Scouring of the White Horse, p.
161. From North Wales.
1
O was it eke a pheasant cock,
Or eke a pheasant hen,
Or was it the bodye of a fair ladye,
Come swimming down the stream?
2
O it was not a pheasant cock,
Nor eke a pheasant hen,
But it was the bodye of a fair ladye
Came swimming down the stream.
* * * * *
3
And what did he do with her fair bodye?
Fal the lal the lal laral lody
He made it a case for his melodye.
Fal, etc.
4
And what did he do with her legs so strong?
He made them a stand for his violon.
5
And what did he do with her hair so fine?
He made of it strings for his violine.
6
And what did he do with her arms so long?
He made them bows for his violon.
7
And what did he do with her nose so thin?
He made it a bridge for his violin.
8
And what did he do with her eyes so bright?
He made them spectacles to put to his sight.
9
And what did he do with her petty toes?
He made them a nosegay to put to his nose.
M.
Taken down from recitation at Old Deir, 1876, by Mrs A.F.
Murison. MS., p. 79.
1
There lived twa sisters in yonder ha,
Binórie O an Binórie
They hadna but ae lad atween them twa,
He's the bonnie miller lad o Binórie.
2
It fell oot upon a day,
The auldest ane to the youngest did say,
At the bonnie mill-dams o Binórie,
3
'O sister, O sister, will ye go to the dams,
To hear the blackbird thrashin oer his songs?
At the,' etc.
4
'O sister, O sister, will ye go to the dams,
To see oor father's fish-boats come safe to dry lan?
An the bonnie miller lad o Binorie.'
5
They hadna been an oor at the dams,
Till they heard the blackbird thrashin oer his tune,
At the, etc.
6
They hadna been an oor at the dams
Till they saw their father's fish-boats come safe to dry lan,
Bat they sawna the bonnie miller laddie.
7
They stood baith up upon a stane,
An the eldest ane dang the youngest in,
I the, etc.
8
She swam up, an she swam doon,
An she swam back to her sister again,
I the, etc.
9
'O sister, O sister, len me your han,
An yes be heir to my true love,
He's the bonnie miller lad o Binorie.'
10
'It was not for that love at I dang you in,
But ye was fair and I was din,
And yes droon i the dams o Binorie.'
11
The miller's daughter she cam oot,
For water to wash her father's hans,
Frae the, etc.
12
'O father, O father, ye will fish your dams,
An ye'll get a white fish or a swan,
I the,' etc.
13
They fished up and they fished doon,
But they got nothing but a droonet woman,
I the, etc.
14
Some o them kent by her skin sae fair,
But weel kent he by her bonnie yallow hair
She's the bonnie miller's lass o Binorie.
15
Some o them kent by her goons o silk,
But weel kent he by her middle sae jimp,
She's the bonnie miller's lass o Binorie.
16
Mony ane was at her oot-takin,
But mony ane mair at her green grave makin,
At the bonny mill-dams o Binorie.
N.
[Pinkerton's] Scottish Tragic Ballads, p. 72.
1
There were twa sisters livd in a bouir,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
Their father was a baron of pouir.
By the bonnie mildams of Binnorie
2
The youngest was meek, and fair as the may
Whan she springs in the east wi the gowden day.
3
The eldest austerne as the winter cauld,
Ferce was her saul, and her seiming was bauld.
4
A gallant squire cam sweet Isabel to wooe;
Her sister had naething to luve I trow.
5
But filld was she wi dolour and ire,
To see that to her the comlie squire
6
Preferd the debonair Isabel:
Their hevin of luve of spyte was her hell.
7
Till ae ein she to her sister can say,
'Sweit sister, cum let us wauk and play.'
8
They wauked up, and they wauked down,
Sweit sang the birdis in the vallie loun.
9
Whan they cam to the roaring lin,
She drave unweiting Isabel in.
10
'O sister, sister, tak my hand,
And ye sall hae my silver fan.
11
'O sister, sister, tak my middle,
And ye sall hae my gowden girdle.'
12
Sumtimes she sank, sumtimes she swam,
Till she cam to the miller's dam.
13
The miller's dochtor was out that ein,
And saw her rowing down the streim.
14
'O father deir, in your mil-dam
There is either a lady or a milk-white swan!'
15
Twa days were gane, whan to her deir
Her wraith at deid of nicht cold appeir.
16
'My luve, my deir, how can ye sleip,
Whan your Isabel lyes in the deip!
17
'My deir, how can ye sleip bot pain
Whan she by her cruel sister is slain!'
18
Up raise he sune, in frichtfu mude:
'Busk ye, my meiny, and seik the flude.'
19
They socht her up and they socht her doun,
And spyd at last her glisterin gown.
20
They raisd her wi richt meikle care;
Pale was her cheik and grein was her hair.
O.
a. Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland,
II, 128. b. Traditional Ballad Airs, edited by
W. Christie, I, 42.
1
There were twa sisters in a bower,
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
And ae king's son has courted them baith.
At the bonny bonny bows o London
2
He courted the youngest wi broach and ring,
He courted the eldest wi some other thing.
3
It fell ance upon a day
The eldest to the youngest did say,
4
'Will ye gae to yon Tweed mill-dam,
And see our father's ships come to land?'
5
They baith stood up upon a stane,
The eldest dang the youngest in.
6
She swimmed up, sae did she down,
Till she came to the Tweed mill-dam.
7
The miller's servant he came out,
And saw the lady floating about.
8
'O master, master, set your mill,
There is a fish, or a milk-white swan.'
9
They could not ken her yellow hair,
[For] the scales o gowd that were laid there.
10
They could not ken her fingers sae white,
The rings o gowd they were sae bright.
11
They could not ken her middle sae jimp,
The stays o gowd were so well laced.
12
They could not ken her foot sae fair,
The shoes o gowd they were so rare.
13
Her father's fiddler he came by,
Upstarted her ghaist before his eye.
14
'Ye'll take a lock o my yellow hair,
Ye'll make a string to your fiddle there.
15
'Ye'll take a lith o my little finger bane,
And ye'll make a pin to your fiddle then.'
16
He's taen a lock o her yellow hair,
And made a string to his fiddle there.
17
He's taen a lith o her little finger bane,
And he's made a pin to his fiddle then.
18
The firstand spring the fiddle did play,
Said, 'Ye'll drown my sister, as she's dune me.'
P.
a. Motherwell's MS., p. 245. b. Motherwell's
Minstrelsy, Appendix, p. xx, xx.
1
There were twa ladies in a bower,
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
The old was black and the young ane fair.
And the swan swims bonnie O
2
Once it happened on a day
The auld ane to the young did say,
3
The auld ane to the young did say,
'Will you gae to the green and play?'
4
'O sister, sister, I daurna gang,
For fear I file my silver shoon.'
5
It was not to the green they gaed,
But it was to the water of Tweed.
6
She bowed her back and she's taen her on,
And she's tumbled her in Tweed mill-dam.
7
'O sister, O sister, O tak my hand,
And I'll mak you heir of a' my land.'
8
'O sister, O sister, I'll no take your hand,
And I'll be heir of a' your land.'
9
'O sister, O sister, O tak my thumb,
And I'll give you my true-love John.'
10
'O sister, O sister, I'll no tak your thumb,
And I will get your true-love John.'
11
Aye she swattered and aye she swam,
Until she came to the mouth of the dam.
12
The miller's daughter went out to Tweed,
To get some water to bake her bread.
13
In again she quickly ran:
'Here's a lady or a swan in our mill-dam.'
14
Out went the miller and his man
And took the lady out of the dam.
15
They laid her on the brae to dry;
Her father's fiddler then rode by.
16
When he this lady did come near,
Her ghost to him then did appear.
17
'When you go to my father the king,
You'll tell him to burn my sister Jean.
18
'When you go to my father's gate,
You'll play a spring for fair Ellen's sake.
19
'You'll tak three links of my yellow hair,
And play a spring for evermair.'
Q.
Copied Oct. 26, 1861, by J.F. Campbell, Esq., from a collection
made by Lady Caroline Murray; traced by her to an old nurse,
and beyond the beginning of this century.
1
There dwelt twa sisters in a bower,
Oh and ohone, and ohone and aree!
And the youngest she was the fairest flower.
On the banks of the Banna, ohone and aree!
2
There cam a knight to court the twa,
But on the youngest his love did fa.
3
He courted the eldest with ring and wi glove,
But he gave the youngest all his love.
4
He courted the eldest with brooch and wi knife,
But he loved the youngest as his life.
5
'O sister, O sister, will ye come to the stream,
To see our father's ships come in?'
6
The youngest stood upon a stane,
Her sister came and pusht her in.
7
'O sister, O sister, come reach me your hand,
And ye shall hae all our father's land.
8
'O sister, O sister, come reach me your glove,
And you shall hae William to be your true love.'
9
'I did not put you in with the design
Just for to pull you out again.'
10
Some time she sank, some time she swam,
Until she came to a miller's dam.
11
The miller's daughter dwelt on the Tweed,
She went for water to bake her bread.
12
'O faither, faither, come drag me your dam,
For there's aither a lady in't, or a milk-white swan.'
13
The miller went, and he dragd his dam,
And he brought her fair body to lan.
14
They couldna see her waist sae sma
For the goud and silk about it a'.
15
They couldna see her yallow hair
For the pearls and jewels that were there.
16
Then up and spak her ghaist sae green,
'Do ye no ken the king's dochter Jean?
17
'Tak my respects to my father the king,
And likewise to my mother the queen.
18
'Tak my respects to my true love William,
Tell him I deid for the love of him.
19
'Carry him a lock of my yallow hair,
To bind his heart for evermair.'
R.
a. Notes and Queries, 1st S., VI, 102, from
Lancashire. b. Written down for J.F. Campbell, Esq.,
Nov. 7, 1861, at Wishaw House, Lancashire, by Lady Louisa
Primrose, c. 'The Scouring of the White Horse,' p. 158,
from Berkshire, as heard by Mr Hughes from his father.
1
There was a king of the north countree,
Bow down, bow down, bow down
There was a king of the north countree,
And he had daughters one, two, three.
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me
2
To the eldest he gave a beaver hat,
And the youngest she thought much of that.
3
To the youngest he gave a gay gold chain,
And the eldest she thought much of the same.
4
These sisters were walking on the bryn,
And the elder pushed the younger in.
5
'Oh sister, oh sister, oh lend me your hand,
And I will give you both houses and land.'
6
'I'll neither give you my hand nor glove,
Unless you give me your true love.'
7
Away she sank, away she swam,
Until she came to a miller's dam.
8
The miller and daughter stood at the door,
And watched her floating down the shore.
9
'Oh father, oh father, I see a white swan,
Or else it is a fair woman.'
10
The miller he took up his long crook,
And the maiden up from the stream he took.
11
'I'll give to thee this gay gold chain,
If you'll take me back to my father again.'
12
The miller he took the gay gold chain,
And he pushed her into the water again.
13
The miller was hanged on his high gate
For drowning our poor sister Kate.
14
The cat's behind the buttery shelf,
If you want any more, you may sing it yourself.
S.
Kinloch MSS, VI, 89, in Kinloch's hand.
* * * * *
1
'O father, father, swims a swan,'
This story I'll vent to thee
'O father, father, swims a swan,
Unless it be some dead woman.'
I'll prove true to my true love,
If my love prove true to me
2
The miller he held out his long fish hook,
And hooked this fair maid from the brook.
3
She offered the miller a gold ring stane
To throw her into the river again.
4
Down she sunk, and away she swam,
Until she came to her father's brook.
5
The miller was hung at his mill-gate,
For drowning of my sister Kate.
T.
Allingham's Ballad Book, p. xxxiii. From Ireland.
'Sister, dear sister, where shall we go play?'
Cold blows the wind, and the wind blows low
'We shall go to the salt sea's brim.'
And the wind blows cheerily around us, high ho
U.
Communicated by Mr W.W. Newell, as repeated by an ignorant
woman in her dotage, who learned it at Huntington, Long Island,
N.Y.
1
There was a man lived in the mist,
Bow down, bow down
He loved his youngest daughter best.
The bow is bent to me,
So you be true to your own true love,
And I'll be true to thee.
2
These two sisters went out to swim;
The oldest pushed the youngest in.
3
First she sank and then she swam,
First she sank and then she swam.
4
The miller, with his rake and hook,
He caught her by the petticoat.
* * * * *
A. b.