Binorie- Mary McWilliam (Aber) 1905 McDonald/Carpenter
[From James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/4/Q, p. 07736. Inconsistent dialect. This is not a version found in the published Greig-Duncan Collection which has 17 versions A-Q.
R. Matteson 2018]
"Binorie" from Duncan's MSS sung by Mary McWilliam, Grange, 1905, taken down by Jeanie McDonald of Alford.
1 There lived two sisters in yonder ha',
Binorie, O an' Binorie,
They hid bet a lad atween then twa,
He's the bonnie mullert lad o Binorie.
2 It fell aince upon a day
Binorie, O an' Binorie,
That the auldest ane to the youngest did say,
At the bonnie milldam o Binorie:
3. "Oh sister, oh sister will ye gang to the brooms,
Binorie, O an' Binorie,
Till they thrice heard the black birdie changing its tune,
An' see the mullert lad o Binorie?
4. They hadna been half an hour at the brooms,
Binorie, O an' Binorie,
Till they thrice heard the black birdie changin its tune,
At the boonie mulldams o Binorie?
5. They hadna been an hour at the dams,
Binorie, O an' Binorie,
Till they saw their father's fish boats on dry land,
But they saw nae the bonnie mullert lad o Binorie.
6. The youngest one stood on a stane,
Binorie, O an' Binorie,
The auldest ane dang the youngest in,
To the bonnie mulldams o Binorie."
7. She swam up, an' she swam down,
Binorie, O an' Binorie,
Till she swam back to her sister again,
In the bonnie mulldams o Binorie."
8. "Oh sister, Oh sister, will ye reach me yer glove,
Binorie, O an' Binorie,
An' I'll make ye heir o my truelove,
The bonnie mullert lad o Binorie."
9. "It wisna for that that I dang ye in,
Binorie, O an' Binorie,
It's because ye are fair, an' I am din,
An' ye'll droon in the dams o Binorie."
10. Oot cam the auld mullert's daughter to the dams,
Binorie, O an' Binorie,
For water to wash her father's hands,
Frae the bonnie mulldams o Binorie.
11. "Oh father, Oh father, go a-fishing in your dams,
Binorie, O an' Binorie,
For there's either a mermaid or a milk-white swan,
In the bonnie mulldams o Binorie."
12. They socht up, an' they socht down,
Binorie, O an' Binorie,
But they got naething but a droon'd woman,
In the bonnie mulldams o Binorie."
13. Some o them kent her by her skin so fair,
Binorie O an' Binorie,
Bet weel kent the mullert by her bonnie yellow hair,
She's the mullert's bonnie lass o Binorie.
14. Some o them kent her by her goon o silk,
Binorie O an' Binorie,
Bet the mullert laddie ken her by her middle so jimp,
'Twas his ane bonnie lass o Binorie.
15. Mony a ane was at her oot-takin',
Binorie, O an' Binorie,
An' mony ane muir at her grave makin';
At the bonnie mulldams o Binorie.