Oh, that I were where Helen lies!
Night and day on me she cries;
Out of my bed she bids me rise,

Says, "Haste and come to me!"

O Helen fair! O Helen chaste!
If I were with thee, I were blest,
Where thou lies low and takes thy rest.
On fair Kirconnell lea.

I wish my grave were growing green,
A winding-sheet drawn o'er my een,
And I in Helen's arms lying,

On fair Kirconnell lea.

I wish I were where Helen lies:
Night and day on me she cries;
And I am weary of the skies,

Since

my Love died for me.

ANON.

9.

THE TWA SISTERS.

THERE were twa sisters lived in a bouir;
Binnorie, O Binnorie;

The youngest o' them, oh, she was a flouir!
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

There came a squire frae the west;

He lo'ed them baith, but the youngest best;

He gied the eldest a gay gowd ring;
But he lo'ed the youngest abune a' thing.

He courted the eldest wi' broach and knife; But he lo'ed the youngest as his life.

The eldest she was vexèd sair,

And sore envied her sister fair.

And it fell once upon a day,
The eldest to the youngest did say:

"Oh, sister, come to the sea-strand,
And see our father's ships come to land."

She's ta'en her by the milk-white hand,
And led her down to the sea-strand.

The youngest sat upon a stane;
The eldest came and pushed her in.

"Oh, sister, sister, lend me your hand,
And you shall be heir of half my land.”

"Oh, sister, I'll not reach my hand, And I'll be heir of all your land.

"Shame fa' the hand that I should take! It twinned me and my world's maik."

"Oh, sister, reach me but your glove, And you shall be sweet William's love."

"Sink on, nor hope for hand or glove, And sweet William shall better be my love.

"Your cherry cheeks and yellow hair
Had gar'd me gang maiden evermair."

First she sank, and syne she swam,
Until she cam to Tweed mill-dam.

The miller's dauchter was baking breid,

And gaed for water as she had need.

'Oh, father, father, in our mill-dam

There's either a mermaid or a milk-white swan."

The miller quickly drew his dam ;
And there he fand a drown'd woman.

You couldna see her yellow hair,

For gowd and pearls that were sae rare.

You couldna see her middle sma',
Her gowden girdle was sae braw.

You couldna see her lilie feet,
Her gowden fringes were sae deep.

You couldna see her fingers sma',
Wi' diamond rings they were covered a'.

"Sair will they be, whae'er they be,
The hearts that live to weep for thee!"

Then by there cam a harper fine,
That harpèd to the king at dine:

And, when he looked that lady on,
He sighed, and made a heavy moan:

He has ta'en three locks o' her yellow hair,
And wi' them strung his harp sae fair.

And he brought the harp to her father's hall,
And there the court was 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 stands my brother Hugh, And by him my William sweet and true!"

But the last tune that the harp played then,
Binnorie, O Binnorie,

Was, "Woe to my sister, false Helen!"
By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie.

IO.

THE TWA BROTHERS.

THERE were twa brothers at the scule,
And when they got awa'-
"It's will ye play at the stane-chucking,
Or will ye play at the ba',

Or will ye gae up to yon hill head,
And there we'll warsell a fa'?"

"I winna play at the stane-chucking,
Nor will I play at the ba',

But I'll gae up to yon bonnie green hill,
And there we'll warsell a fa'."

They warsled up, they warsled down,
Till John fell to the ground;

A dirk fell out of Willie's pouch,
And gave him a deadly wound.

- ANON.

"Oh, Billie, lift me on your back,
Take me to yon well fair,

And wash the bluid frae aff my wound,
And it will bleed nae mair."

He's lifted his brother upon his back,
Ta'en him to yon well fair;

He's washed the bluid fra aff his wound,
But ay it bled mair and mair.

"Tak ye aff my Holland sark,
And rive it gair by gair,
And stap it in my bluidy wound,
And syne 'twill bleed nae mair."

He's taken aff his Holland sark,
And torn it gair by gair;
He's stappit it in his bluidy wound,
But aye it bled mair and mair.

"Tak now aff my green sleiding, And row me saftly in :

And tak me up to yon kirk style,

Where the grass grows fair and green."

He's taken aff the green sleiding,

And rowd him saftly in;

He's laid him down by yon kirk style, Where the grass grows fair and green.

"What will ye say to your father dear When ye gae hame at e'en?"

"I'll say ye're lying at yon kirk style,

Where the grass grows fair and green."