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| THERE were twa sisters lived in a bower; | |
| Binnorie, O Binnorie; | |
| The youngest o’ them, O, she was a flower! | |
| By the bonnie mill-dams o’ Binnorie. | |
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| There came a squire frae the west; | 5 |
| He lo’ed them baith, but the youngest best; | |
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| He gied the eldest a gay gowd ring; | |
| But he lo’ed the youngest abune a’ thing. | |
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| He courted the eldest wi’ broach and knife; | |
| But he lo’ed the youngest as his life. | 10 |
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| The eldest she was vexéd sair, | |
| And sore envied her sister fair. | |
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| And it fell once upon a day, | |
| The eldest to the youngest did say: | |
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| “O sister, come to the sea-strand, | 15 |
| And see our father’s ships come to land.” | |
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| She ’s ta’en her by the milk-white hand, | |
| And led her down to the sea-strand. | |
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| The youngest sat upon a stane; | |
| The eldest came and pushed her in. | 20 |
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| “O sister, sister, lend me your hand, | |
| And you shall be heir of half my land.” | |
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| “O sister, I ’ll not reach my hand, | |
| And I ’ll be heir of all your land. | |
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| “Shame fa’ the hand that I should take! | 25 |
| It twinned me and my world’s maik.” | |
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| “O sister, reach me but your glove, | |
| And you shall be sweet William’s love.” | |
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| “Sink on, nor hope for hand or glove, | |
| And sweet William shall better be my love. | 30 |
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| “Your cherry cheeks and yellow hair | |
| Had gar’d me gang maiden evermair.” | |
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| First she sank, and syne she swam, | |
| Until she cam to Tweed mill-dam. | |
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| The miller’s dauchter was baking breid, | 35 |
| And gaed for water as she had need. | |
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| “O father, father, in our mill-dam | |
| There ’s either a mermaid or a milk-white swan.” | |
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| The miller quickly drew his dam; | |
| And there he fand a drowned woman. | 40 |
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| You couldna see her yellow hair, | |
| For gowd and pearls that were sae rare. | |
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| You couldna see her middle sma’, | |
| Her gowden girdle was sae braw. | |
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| You couldna see her lilie feet, | 45 |
| Her gowden fringes were sae deep. | |
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| You couldna see her fingers sma’, | |
| Wi’ diamond rings they were covered a’. | |
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| “Sair will they be, whae’er they be, | |
| The hearts that live to weep for thee!” | 50 |
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| Then by there cam a harper fine, | |
| That harpéd to the king at dine. | |
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| And, when he looked that lady on, | |
| He sighed, and made a heavy moan. | |
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| He has ta’en three locks o’ her yellow hair, | 55 |
| And wi’ them strung his harp sae fair. | |
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| And he brought the harp to her father’s hall, | |
| And there the court was assembled all. | |
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| He laid his harp upon a stone, | |
| And straight it began to play alone. | 60 |
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| “O, yonder sits my father, the king! | |
| And yonder sits my mother, the queen! | |
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| “And yonder stands my brother Hugh, | |
| And by him my William sweet and true!” | |
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| But the last tune that the harp played then, | 65 |
| Binnorie, O Binnorie, | |
| Was, “Woe to my sister, false Helen!” | |
| By the bonny mill-dams o’ Binnorie. | |
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