She's gi'en him a steed was good in need,

An' a saddle o' royal bone, A leash o' hounds o' ae litter, An' Hector called one.

Atween this twa a vow was made,

"Twas made full solemnly,

That or three years was come and gane,
Well married they should be.

He had nae been in's ain country

A twelvemonth till an end,

Till he's forced to marry a duke's daughter,
Or then lose a' his land.

'Ohon, alas!" says Young Bekie,

"I know not what to dee;

For I canno win to Burd Isbel,
And she kensnae to come to me."

O it fell once upon a day

Burd Isbel fell asleep,

An' up it starts the Billy Blin,
An' stood at her bed-feet.

"O waken, waken, Burd Isbel, How can you sleep so soun',

Vhan this is Bekie's wedding day,
An' the marriage gain' on?

Ye do ye to your mither's bow'r,
Think neither sin nor shame;

An'
ye tak' twa o' your mither's marys,
To keep ye frae thinking lang.

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60

"Ye dress yoursel' in the red scarlet,
An' your marys in dainty green,

An' ye pit girdles about your middles
Would buy an earldome.

66

"O ye gang down by yon sea-side,
An' down by yon sea-stran';
Sae bonny will the Hollans boats.
Come rowin' till your han'.

"Ye set your milk-white foot aboard, Cry, Hail ye, Domine!

An' I shall be the steerer o't,

To row you o'er the sea."

She's ta'en her till her mither's bow'r,
Thought neither sin nor shame,
An' she took twa o' her mither's marys,
To keep her frae thinking lang.

She dress'd hersel' i' the red scarlet,
Her marys i' dainty green,

And they pat girdles about their middles
Would buy an earldome.

An' they gid down by yon sea-side,
An' down by yon sea-stran';

Sae bonny did the Hollan' boats
Come rowin' to their han'.

She set her milk-white foot on board,
Cried "Hail ye, Domine!"

An' the Billy Blin was the steerer o't,
To row her o'er the sea.

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80

90

Whan she came to Young Bekie's gate,

She heard the music play;

Sae well she kent frae a' she heard,
It was his wedding day.

She's pitten her han' in her pocket,
Gi'n the porter guineas three;
"Hae, tak' ye that, ye proud porter,
Bid the bride-groom speak to me.”

O whan that he cam up the stair,

He fell low down on his knee:

He hail'd the king, an' he hail'd the queen,
An' he hail'd him, Young Bekie.

"O I've been porter at your gates
This thirty years an' three;
But there's three ladies at them now,

Their like I never did see.

"There's ane o' them dress'd in red scarlet,

And twa in dainty green,

An' they hae girdles about their middles
Would buy an earldome."

Then out it spake the bierly bride,
Was a' goud to the chin:

"Gin she be braw without," she says,
"We's be as braw within."

Then up it starts him, Young Bekie,
An' the tears was in his ee:
"I'll lay my life it's Burd Isbel,

Come o'er the sea to me."

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120

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O quickly ran he down the stair,
An' when he saw 'twas she,
He kindly took her in his arms,
And kiss'd her tenderly.

"O hae ye forgotten, Young Bekie,

The vow ye made to me,

Whan I took ye out o' the prison strong
Whan ye was condemn'd to die?

"I gae you a steed was good in need, An' a saddle o' royal bone,

A leash o' hounds o' ae litter,

An' Hector called one."

It was well kent what the lady said,
That it wasnae a lee,

For at ilka word the lady spake,

The hound fell at her knee.

"Tak hame, tak hame your daughter dear,

A blessing gae her wi',

For I maun marry my Burd Isbel,

That's come o'er the sea to me."

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"Is this the custom o' your house,
Or the fashion o' your lan',

To marry a maid in a May mornin',
An' send her back at even?"

THE TWA SISTERS OF BINNORIE

There were twa sisters sat in a bour,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!

There came a knight to be their wooer,
By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie.

He courted the eldest wi' glove and ring,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!

But he lo'ed the youngest aboon a' thing,
By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie.

He courted the eldest with brooch and knife,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!

But he lo'ed the youngest aboon his life,
By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie.

The eldest she was vexèd sair,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!

And sair envied her sister fair,

By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie.

The eldest said to the youngest ane,

Binnorie, O Binnorie!

ΙΟ

"Will ye go and see our father's ships come in?" By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie.

She's ta'en her by the lily hand,

Binnorie, O Binnorie!

And led her down to the river-strand,

By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie.

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