There Were Three Sisters- King (Renf) c.1825 Child G
[My title. From Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 104. Child version G; The refrains were given by Scott in 1802.
R. Matteson 2014, 2018]
There Were Three Sisters- from Mrs. King of Kilbarchan. Renfrewshire c. 1825
1 There were three sisters lived in a bouir,
Hech, hey, my Nannie O
And the youngest was the fairest flouir.
And the swan swims bonnie O
2 'O sister, sister, gang down to yon *sand,
Hech, hey, my Nannie O
And see your father's ships coming to dry land.'
And the swan swims bonnie O
3 O they have gane down to yonder sand,
Hech, hey, my Nannie O
To see their father's ships coming to dry land.
And the swan swims bonnie O
4 'Gae set your fit on yonder stane,
Hech, hey, my Nannie O
Till I tye up your silken goun.'
And the swan swims bonnie O
5 She set her fit on yonder stane,
Hech, hey, my Nannie O
And the auldest drave the youngest in.
And the swan swims bonnie O
6 'O sister, sister, tak me by the hand,
Hech, hey, my Nannie O
And ye'll get a' my father's land.
And the swan swims bonnie O
7 'O sister, sister, tak me by the gluve,
Hech, hey, my Nannie O
An ye'll get Willy, my true luve.'
And the swan swims bonnie O
8 She had a switch into her hand,
Hech, hey, my Nannie O
And ay she drave her frae the land.
And the swan swims bonnie O
9 O whiles she sunk, and whiles she swam,
Hech, hey, my Nannie O
Until she swam to the miller's dam.
And the swan swims bonnie O
10 The miller's daughter gade doun to Tweed,
Hech, hey, my Nannie O
To carry water to bake her bread.
And the swan swims bonnie O
11 'O father, O father, what's yon in the dam?
Hech, hey, my Nannie O
It's either a maid or a milk-white swan.'
And the swan swims bonnie O
12 They have tane her out till yonder thorn,
Hech, hey, my Nannie O
And she has lain till Monday morn.
And the swan swims bonnie O
13 She hadna, hadna twa days lain,
Hech, hey, my Nannie O
Till by there came a harper fine.
And the swan swims bonnie O
14 He made a harp o her breast-bane,
Hech, hey, my Nannie O
That he might play forever thereon.
And the swan swims bonnie O
_________________
Footnote:
*G. 2[1]. strand, with sand written above: sand in 3[1].