BINNORIE

There were two sisters sat in a bower;

Binnorie, O, Binnorie
There came a knight to be their wooer
By the bonnie mill-dams oBinnorie.
He courted the eldest with glove and ring,
But he loved the youngest abune athing.
He courted the eldest with brooch and knife;
But he loved the youngest as his life.
The eldest she was vexed sair,
And sair envied her sister fair.
Into her bower she could not rest,
Wi grief and spite she almost brast.
Upon a morning fair and clear,
She cried upon her sister dear:
O sister, come to yon sea-strand,
And see our fathers ships come to land.
Shes taken her by the lily hand,
And led her down to yon sea-strand.
The youngest stude upon a stone,
The eldest came and pushed her in.
She took her by the middle sma,
And dashed her bonny back to the jaw.
O sister, sister reach your hand
And ye shall be heir of half of my land.
O sister, sister reach me but your glove
And sweet William shall be your love.
O sister, sister, save my life,
And I swear Ill be no mans wife.
Sometimes she sank, and sometimes she swam,
Until she came to the millers dam.
Oh, out then came the millers son,
And saw the fair maid swimming in.
O father, father, draw your dam,
Heres either a mermaid or a milk-white swan.

The miller hasted and drew his dam,

And there he found a drownd woman.
You couldna see her yellow hair
For gold and pearl that were so rare.
You couldna see her middle sma,
For golden girdle was so braw.
You couldna see her fingers white,
For golden fringes that were so great.
And by there came a harper fine,
That harped to the king at dine.
And when he did look that lady upon,
He sighd and meade a heavy moan.
Hes made a harp of her breast-bone,
Whose sound would melt a heart of stone.
Hes taken three locks of her hair,
And wi them strung his harp so rare.
He brought it to her fathers hall,
And there was the court assembled all,
He laid his harp upon a stone,
And straight it began to play alone.
O yonder sits my father, the King,
And yonder sits my mother, the Queen;
And yonder sits my brother Hugh,
And by him my William, sweet and true.
But the last tune that the harp playd then
Binnorie, o Binnorie
Was Woe to my sister, false Helen
By the bonnie mill-dam of Binnorie.
Bower=a ladys private apartment
Abune=beyond
Sair=sore
Brast=burst
Yon=yonder=that/those there
Bonny=beautiful
Jaw= walls of a pass
Braw=splendid

THE WIFE OF USHERS WELL

There lived a wife at Usher's Well,
And a wealthy wife was she;
She had three stout and stalwart sons,
And sent them oer the sea,

The cock he hadna crawed but once,

And clapp'd his wings at a',
When the youngest to the eldest said,
Brother, we must awa.
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They hadna been a week from her, 5

A week but barely one,
When word came to the carlin wife
That her three sons were gone.

The cock doth craw, the day doth daw,

The channerin worm doth chide;
Gin we be mist out of our place,
A sair pain we maun bide.

They hadna been a week from her,

A week but barely three,
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When word came to the carlin wife
That her sons she'd never see.

Fare ye well, my mother dear!

Farewell to barn and byre!
And fare ye well, the bonny lass
That kindles my mother's fire!

I wish the wind may never cease,

Nor fashes in the flood,
Till my three sons come home to me, 15
In earthly flesh and blood!
It fell about the Martinmas,
When nights are long and mirk,
The carlin wife's three sons came home,
And their hats were o the birk.
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It neither grew in syke nor ditch,
Nor yet in any sheugh;
But at the gates of Paradise
That birk grew fair eneugh.
Blow up the fire, my maidens!
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Bring water from the well;
For a' my house shall feast this night,
Since my three sons are well.
And she has made to them a bed,
She's made it large and wide;
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And she's taken her mantle her about,
Sat down at the bedside.
Up then crew the red, red cock,
And up and crew the gray;
The eldest to the youngest said,
'Tis time we were away.

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Stout = Heavy build

Stalwart = hardworking
Carlin = (old) woman
Fashes = troubles/troubled waters
Martinmas = a Christian feast observed in
commemoration of the death and burial of Saint Martin
of Tours (November the 11th)
Mirk = gloomy, dark
Birk = birch [mesteacan]
Syke = gutter
Sheugh = ditch
Mantle = loose sleeveless cloak or shawl
Channering = gnawing
Chide = scold, reprove
Gin = if
Maun = must
Bide = endure
Byre = cow shed

GET UP AND BAR THE DOOR

It fell about the Martinmas time,
And a gay time it was then,
When our goodwife had puddings to make,
And she boiled them in the pan.

Up then started our Goodman,

And an angry man was he,
Would ye kiss my wife before my eyen,
And scald me wi pudding bree!

The wind blew cold from the north to south,

And blew into the floor.
Quoth our goodman to our goodwife,
Get up and bar the door!

Then up and started our goodwife,

Gave three skips on the floor,
Goodman, yeve spoken the foremost word
Yell rise and bar the door!

My hand is in my housewifeskep
Good man, as ye may see,
And it shouldnt be barred this hundred year
Its no be barred for me!
They made a paction tween them two,
And made it firm and sure;
Whomwer should speak the foremost word
Should rise and bar the door.
Then by there came two gentlemen,
At twelve oclock at night,
They could neither see nor house nor hall,
Nor coal nor candle-light.
Now whether this is a rich mans house,
Or whether is it a poor?
But neer a word would one of them speak
For barring of the door.
At first they ate the puddings,
And then they ate the black,
Though muckle thought the goodwife to herself,
Yet neer a word she spak.
Then said the tane unto tother,
Here man, take ye my knife,
Do ye take off the old mans beard,
And Ill kiss the goodwife!
But theres no water in the house,
And what shall we do then?
What ails ye at the pudding bree
That boils into the pan?

Quoth = said
Goodwife and goodman = mistress and master of the
house
Housewifeskep = the duties of a housewife
Black pudding = blood sausage
Muckle = much
Tane = man
Ail = trouble, bother
Bree = broth, juice
Eyen = eye
Scald = burn with liquid
Skip = leap