Scott's Minstrelsy, 1802, II, 143. Compounded from B b
and a fragment of fourteen stanzas transcribed from the
recitation of an old woman by Miss Charlotte Brooke.
| 1 |
There were two sisters sat in a bour;
Binnorie, O Binnorie
There came a knight to be their wooer.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 2 |
He courted the eldest with glove and ring,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
But he loed the youngest aboon a' thing.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 3 |
He courted the eldest with broach and knife,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
But he loed the youngest aboon his life.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 4 |
The eldest she was vexed sair,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
And sore envied her sister fair.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 5 |
The eldest said to the youngest ane,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
'Will ye go and see our father's ships come in?'
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 6 |
She's taen her by the lilly hand,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
And led her down to the river strand.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 7 |
The youngest stude upon a stane,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
The eldest came and pushed her in.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 8 |
She took her by the middle sma,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
And dashed her bonnie back to the jaw.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 9 |
'O sister, sister, reach your hand,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
And ye shall be heir of half my land.'
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 10 |
'O sister, I'll not reach my hand,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
And I'll be heir of all your land.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 11 |
'Shame fa the hand that I should take,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
It's twin'd me and my world's make.'
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 12 |
'O sister, reach me but your glove,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
And sweet William shall be your love.'
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 13 |
'Sink on, nor hope for hand or glove,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
And sweet William shall better be my love.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 14 |
'Your cherry cheeks and your yellow hair
Binnorie, O Binnorie
Garrd me gang maiden evermair.'
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 15 |
Sometimes she sunk, and sometimes she swam,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
Until she came to the miller's dam.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 16 |
'O father, father, draw your dam,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
There's either a mermaid or a milk-white swan.'
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 17 |
The miller hasted and drew his dam,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
And there he found a drowned woman.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 18 |
You could not see her yellow hair,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
For gowd and pearls that were sae rare.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 19 |
You could na see her middle sma,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
Her gowden girdle was sae bra.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 20 |
A famous harper passing by,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
The sweet pale face he chanced to spy.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 21 |
And when he looked that ladye on,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
He sighed and made a heavy moan.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 22 |
He made a harp of her breast-bone,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
Whose sounds would melt a heart of stone.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 23 |
The strings he framed of her yellow hair,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
Whose notes made sad the listening ear.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 24 |
He brought it to her father's hall,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
And there was the court assembled all.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 25 |
He laid this harp upon a stone,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
And straight it began to play alone.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 26 |
'O yonder sits my father, the king,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
And yonder sits my mother, the queen.
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 27 |
'And yonder stands my brother Hugh,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
And by him my William, sweet and true.'
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
| 28 |
But the last tune that the harp playd then,
Binnorie, O Binnorie
Was 'Woe to my sister, false Helen!'
By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie |
