| |
I
SHE lean’d her back unto a thorn; | |
| Fine flowers in the valley | |
| And there she has her two babes born, | |
| And the green leaves they grow rarely. | |
| |
II
She’s ta’en the ribbon frae her hair, | 5 |
| And bound their bodies fast and sair. | |
| |
III
‘Smile na sae sweet, my bonny babes, | |
| An’ ye smile sae sweet, ye’ll smile me dead. | |
| |
IV
‘And, O bonny babes, if ye suck sair, | |
| Ye’ll never suck by my side mair.’ | 10 |
| |
V
She’s ta’en out her little penknife | |
| And twinn’d the sweet babes o’ their life. | |
| |
VI
She’s howket a grave baith deep and wide, | |
| And there she’s buried them side by side. | |
| |
VII
She’s buried them baith beneath the brier, | 15 |
| And washed her hands wi’ mony a tear. | |
| |
VIII
‘O ay, my God, as I look to thee, | |
| My babes be atween my God and me! | |
| |
IX
‘And ay their smiles wad win me in, | |
| But I am borne down by deadly sin.’ | 20 |
| |
X
She’s cover’d them o’er wi’ a marble stane, | |
| Thinking she wad gang maiden hame. | |
| |
XI
She lookit out owre her castle wa’ | |
| And saw twa naked boys play at the ba.’ | |
| |
XII
‘O bonny boys, gin ye were mine | 25 |
| I wad cleed you in silk and sabelline. | |
| |
XIII
‘O I would dress you in the silk, | |
| And wash you ay in morning milk.’— | |
| |
XIV
‘O mother dear, when we were thine, | |
| You didna prove to us sae kind. | 30 |
| |
XV
‘O cruel mother, we were thine | |
| And thou made us to wear the twine. | |
| |
XVI
‘But now we’re in the heavens hie, | |
| Fine flowers in the valley | |
| And ye have the pains o’ hell to drie’— | 35 |
| And the green leaves they grow rarely; | |
| Ten thousand times good night and be wi’ thee! | |
| | | GLOSS: twinn’d] robbed, deprived. cleed] clothe. sabelline] sable. twine] twine-cloth, shroud. |
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