The Cruel Sister

 

There were two sisters sat in a bour;
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
There came a knight to be their wooer;
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

He courted the eldest with glove and ring;
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
But he lo’ed the youngest aboon a’ thing;
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

He courted the eldest with broach and knife;
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
But he lo’ed the youngest aboon his life;
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

The eldest she was vexed sair;
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
And sore envied her sister fair;
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

The eldest said to the youngest ane,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
—“Will ye go and see our father’s ships come in?”—
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

She’s tae’n her by the lilly hand,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
And led her down to the river strand;
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

The youngest stude upon a stane,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
The eldest came and pushed her in;
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

She took her by the middle sma’,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
And dashed her bonnie back to the jaw,
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

—“O sister, sister, reach your hand,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
And ye shall be heir of half my land.”—
               By the bonny milldams 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 milldams of Binnorie.

—“Shame fa’ the hand that I should take,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
It’s twin’d me, and my world’s make.”—
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

—“O sister, reach me but your glove,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
And sweet William shall be your love.”—
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

—“Sink on, nor hope for hand or glove,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
And sweet William shall better be my love.”—
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

—“Your cherry cheeks and your yellow hair,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
Garr’d me gang maiden evermair.”—
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

Sometimes she sunk, and sometimes she swam,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
Untill she came to the miller’s dam,
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

—“O father, father, draw your dam!
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
There’s either a mermaid or a milkwhite swan.”—
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

The miller hasted and drew his dam,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
And there he found a drowned woman,
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

You could not see her yellow hair,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
For gowd and pearls that were sae rare,
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

You could na see her middle sma’,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
Her gowden girdle was sae bra’;
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

A famous harper passing by,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
The sweet pale face he chanced to spy;
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

And when he looked that ladye on,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
He sighed and made a heavy moan;
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

He made a harp of her breast bone,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
Whose sounds would melt a heart of stone;
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

The strings he framed of her yellow hair,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
Whose notes made sad the listening ear;
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

He brought it to her father’s hall;
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
And there was the court assembled all;
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

He laid this harp upon a stone,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
And straight it began to play alone;
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

“O yonder sits my father, the king,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
And yonder sits my mother, the queen;
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

“And yonder stands my brother Hugh,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
And by him my William sweet and true.”—
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.

But the last tune that the harp play’d then,
               Binnorie, O Binnorie;
Was “Woe to my sister, false Helen!”—
               By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.