Motherwell's Minstrelsy, p. 161.
| 1 |
She leaned her back unto a thorn,
Three, three, and three by three
And there she has her two babes born.
Three, three, and thirty-three |
| 2 |
She took frae 'bout her ribbon-belt,
Three, three, and three by three
And there she bound them hand and foot.
Three, three, and thirty-three |
| 3 |
She has taen out her wee pen-knife,
Three, three, and three by three
And there she ended baith their life.
Three, three, and thirty-three |
| 4 |
She has howked a hole baith deep and wide,
Three, three, and three by three
She has put them in baith side by side.
Three, three, and thirty-three |
| 5 |
She has covered them oer wi a marble stane,
Three, three, and three by three
Thinking she would gang maiden hame.
Three, three, and thirty-three |
| 6 |
As she was walking by her father's castle wa,
Three, three, and three by three
She saw twa pretty babes playing at the ba.
Three, three, and thirty-three |
| 7 |
'O bonnie babes, gin ye were mine,
Three, three, and three by three
I would dress you up in satin fine.
Three, three, and thirty-three |
| 8 |
'O I would dress you in the silk,
Three, three, and three by three
And wash you ay in morning milk.'
Three, three, and thirty-three |
| 9 |
'O cruel mother, we were thine,
Three, three, and three by three
And thou made us to wear the twine.
Three, three, and thirty-three |
| 10 |
'O cursed mother, heaven's high,
Three, three, and three by three
And that's where thou will neer win nigh.
Three, three, and thirty-three |
| 11 |
'O cursed mother, hell is deep,
Three, three, and three by three
And there thou'll enter step by step.'
Three, three, and thirty-three |
