| 1 |
There were twa sisters in a bower,
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
And ae king's son has courted them baith.
At the bonny bonny bows o London |
| 2 |
He courted the youngest wi broach and ring,
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
He courted the eldest wi some other thing.
At the bonny bonny bows o London |
| 3 |
It fell ance upon a day
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
The eldest to the youngest did say,
At the bonny bonny bows o London |
| 4 |
'Will ye gae to yon Tweed mill-dam,
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
And see our father's ships come to land?'
At the bonny bonny bows o London |
| 5 |
They baith stood up upon a stane,
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
The eldest dang the youngest in.
At the bonny bonny bows o London |
| 6 |
She swimmed up, sae did she down,
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
Till she came to the Tweed mill-dam.
At the bonny bonny bows o London |
| 7 |
The miller's servant he came out,
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
And saw the lady floating about.
At the bonny bonny bows o London |
| 8 |
'O master, master, set your mill,
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
There is a fish, or a milk-white swan.'
At the bonny bonny bows o London |
| 9 |
They could not ken her yellow hair,
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
[For] the scales o gowd that were laid there.
At the bonny bonny bows o London |
| 10 |
They could not ken her fingers sae white,
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
The rings o gowd they were sae bright.
At the bonny bonny bows o London |
| 11 |
They could not ken her middle sae jimp,
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
The stays o gowd were so well laced.
At the bonny bonny bows o London |
| 12 |
They could not ken her foot sae fair,
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
The shoes o gowd they were so rare.
At the bonny bonny bows o London |
| 13 |
Her father's fiddler he came by,
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
Upstarted her ghaist before his eye.
At the bonny bonny bows o London |
| 14 |
'Ye'll take a lock o my yellow hair,
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
Ye'll make a string to your fiddle there.
At the bonny bonny bows o London |
| 15 |
'Ye'll take a lith o my little finger bane,
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
And ye'll make a pin to your fiddle then.'
At the bonny bonny bows o London |
| 16 |
He's taen a lock o her yellow hair,
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
And made a string to his fiddle there.
At the bonny bonny bows o London |
| 17 |
He's taen a lith o her little finger bane,
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
And he's made a pin to his fiddle then.
At the bonny bonny bows o London |
| 18 |
The firstand spring the fiddle did play,
Hey wi the gay and the grinding
Said, 'Ye'll drown my sister, as she's dune me.'
At the bonny bonny bows o London |
