The Twa Brothers
THE TWA BROTHERS—E
[_]
Motherwell's Minstrelsy, p. 60.
1
There were twa brothers at the scule,
And when they got awa,
‘It's will ye play at the stane-chucking,
Or will ye play at the ba,
Or will ye gae up to yon hill head,
And there we'll warsel a fa?’
2
‘I winna play at the stane-chucking,
Nor will I play at the ba;
But I'll gae up to yon bonnie green hill,
And there we'll warsel a fa.’
3
They warsled up, they warsled down,
Till John fell to the ground;
A dirk fell out of William's pouch,
And gave John a deadly wound.
4
‘O lift me upon your back,
Take me to yon well fair,
And wash my bluidy wounds oer and oer,
And they'll neer bleed nae mair.’
5
He's lifted his brother upon his back,
Taen him to yon well fair;
He's wash'd his bluidy wounds oer and oer,
But they bleed ay mair and mair.
6
‘Tak ye aff my holland sark,
And rive it gair by gair,
And row it in my bluidy wounds,
And they'll neer bleed nae mair.’
7
He's taken aff his holland sark,
And torn it gair by gair;
He's rowit it in his bluidy wounds,
But they bleed ay mair and mair.
8
‘Tak now aff my green cleiding,
And row me saftly in,
And tak me up to yon kirk-style,
Whare the grass grows fair and green.’
9
He's taken aff the green cleiding,
And rowed him saftly in;
He's laid him down by yon kirk-style,
Whare the grass grows fair and green.
10
‘What will ye say to your father dear,
When ye gae hame at een?’
‘I'll say ye're lying at yon kirk-style,
Whare the grass grows fair and green.’
11
‘O no, O no, my brother dear,
O you must not say so;
But say that I'm gane to a foreign land,
Whare nae man does me know.’
12
When he sat in his father's chair,
He grew baith pale and wan:
‘O what blude's that upon your brow?
O dear son, tell to me;’
‘It is the blude o my gude gray steed,
He wadna ride wi me.’
13
‘O thy steed's blude was neer sae red,
Nor eer sae dear to me:
O what blude's this upon your cheek?
O dear son, tell to me;’
‘It is the blude of my greyhound,
He wadna hunt for me.’
14
‘O thy hound's blude was neer sae red,
Nor eer sae dear to me:
O what blude's this upon your hand?
O dear son, tell to me;’
‘It is the blude of my gay goss-hawk,
He wadna flee for me.’
15
‘O thy hawk's blude was neer sae red,
Nor eer sae dear to me:
O what blude's this upon your dirk?
Dear Willie, tell to me;’
‘It is the blude of my ae brother,
O dule and wae is me!’
16
‘O what will ye say to your father?
Dear Willie, tell to me;’
‘I'll saddle my steed, and awa I'll ride,
To dwell in some far countrie.’
17
‘O when will ye come hame again?
Dear Willie, tell to me;’
‘When sun and mune leap on yon hill,
And that will never be.’
18
She turnd hersel right round about,
And her heart burst into three:
‘My ae best son is deid and gane,
And my tother ane I'll neer see.’
