The English and Scottish Popular Ballads Edited by Francis James Child. |
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The English and Scottish Popular Ballads | ||
131
THE TWA SISTERS—G
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.
The English and Scottish Popular Ballads | ||