| 1 |
There were twa ladies in a bower,
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
The old was black and the young ane fair.
And the swan swims bonnie O |
| 2 |
Once it happened on a day
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
The auld ane to the young did say,
And the swan swims bonnie O |
| 3 |
The auld ane to the young did say,
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
'Will you gae to the green and play?'
And the swan swims bonnie O |
| 4 |
'O sister, sister, I daurna gang,
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
For fear I file my silver shoon.'
And the swan swims bonnie O |
| 5 |
It was not to the green they gaed,
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
But it was to the water of Tweed.
And the swan swims bonnie O |
| 6 |
She bowed her back and she's taen her on,
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
And she's tumbled her in Tweed mill-dam.
And the swan swims bonnie O |
| 7 |
'O sister, O sister, O tak my hand,
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
And I'll mak you heir of a' my land.'
And the swan swims bonnie O |
| 8 |
'O sister, O sister, I'll no take your hand,
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
And I'll be heir of a' your land.'
And the swan swims bonnie O |
| 9 |
'O sister, O sister, O tak my thumb,
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
And I'll give you my true-love John.'
And the swan swims bonnie O |
| 10 |
'O sister, O sister, I'll no tak your thumb,
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
And I will get your true-love John.'
And the swan swims bonnie O |
| 11 |
Aye she swattered and aye she swam,
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
Until she came to the mouth of the dam.
And the swan swims bonnie O |
| 12 |
The miller's daughter went out to Tweed,
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
To get some water to bake her bread.
And the swan swims bonnie O |
| 13 |
In again she quickly ran:
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
'Here's a lady or a swan in our mill-dam.'
And the swan swims bonnie O |
| 14 |
Out went the miller and his man
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
And took the lady out of the dam.
And the swan swims bonnie O |
| 15 |
They laid her on the brae to dry;
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
Her father's fiddler then rode by.
And the swan swims bonnie O |
| 16 |
When he this lady did come near,
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
Her ghost to him then did appear.
And the swan swims bonnie O |
| 17 |
'When you go to my father the king,
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
You'll tell him to burn my sister Jean.
And the swan swims bonnie O |
| 18 |
'When you go to my father's gate,
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
You'll play a spring for fair Ellen's sake.
And the swan swims bonnie O |
| 19 |
'You'll tak three links of my yellow hair,
Hey my bonnie Nannie O
And play a spring for evermair.'
And the swan swims bonnie O |
