The Twa Sisters
No: 10; variant: 10G
- 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
- 'O sister, sister, gang down to yon sand,
And see your father's ships coming to dry land.'
- O they have gane down to yonder sand,
To see their father's ships coming to dry land.
- 'Gae set your fit on yonder stane,
Till I tye up your silken goun.'
- She set her fit on yonder stane,
And the auldest drave the youngest in.
- 'O sister, sister, tak me by the hand,
And ye'll get a' my father's land.
- 'O sister, sister, tak me by the gluve,
An ye'll get Willy, my true luve.'
- She had a switch into her hand,
And ay she drave her frae the land.
- O whiles she sunk, and whiles she swam,
Until she swam to the miller's dam.
- The miller's daughter gade doun to Tweed,
To carry water to bake her bread.
- 'O father, O father, what's yon in the dam?
It's either a maid or a milk-white swan.'
- They have tane her out till yonder thorn,
And she has lain till Monday morn.
- She hadna, hadna twa days lain,
Till by there came a harper fine.
- He made a harp o her breast-bane,
That he might play forever thereon.