6.

She's ta'en her by the lilly hand, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ And led her down to the river-strand, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

7.

The youngest stude upon a stane, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ The eldest came and pushed her in, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

8.

She took her by the middle sma', _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ And dashed her bonnie back to the jaw, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie/_

9.

'O sister, sister, reach your hand!'

_Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ 'And ye shall be heir of half my land,'

_By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

10.

'O sister, I'll not reach my hand,'

_Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ 'And I'll be heir of all your land,'

_By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

11.

'Shame fa' the hand that I should take,'

_Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ 'It's twin'd me and my world's make,'

_By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

12.

'O sister, reach me but your glove,'

_Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ 'And sweet William shall be your love,'

_By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

13.

'Sink on, nor hope for hand or glove,'

_Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ 'And sweet William shall better be my love,'

_By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

14.

'Your cherry cheeks and your yellow hair,'

_Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ 'Garr'd me gang maiden evermair,'

_By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie._

15.

Sometimes she sunk, and sometimes she swam, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ Until she came to the miller's dam, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

16.

'O father, father, draw your dam!'

_Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ 'There's either a mermaid or a milk-white swan,'

_By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

17.

The miller hasted and drew his dam, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ And there he found a drowned woman, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

18.

You could not see her yellow hair, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ For gowd and pearls that were sae rare, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

19.

You could na see her middle sma', _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ Her gowden girdle was sae bra', _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

20.

An' by there came a harper fine, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ That harped to the king at dine, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

21.

When he did look that lady upon, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ He sigh'd and made a heavy moan, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

22.

He's ta'en three locks o' her yallow hair, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ And wi' them strung his harp sae fair, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

23.

The first tune he did play and sing, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ Was, 'Farewell to my father the king,'

_By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

24.

The nextin tune that he play'd syne, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ Was, 'Farewell to my mother the queen,'

_By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

25.

The lasten tune that he play'd then, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ Was, 'Wae to my sister, fair Ellen!'

_By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

[Annotations: 8.3: 'jaw,' wave.

11.3: 'my world's make,' my earthly mate.]

YOUNG WATERS

+The Text+ is that of a copy mentioned by Percy, 'printed not long since at Glasgow, in one sheet 8vo. The world was indebted for its publication to the lady Jean Hume, sister to the Earle of Hume, who died lately at Gibraltar.' The original edition, discovered by Mr. Macmath after Professor Child's version (from the _Reliques_) was in print, is:-- 'Young Waters, an Ancient Scottish Poem, never before printed. Glasgow, printed and sold by Robert and Andrew Foulis, 1755.' This was also known to Maidment. Hardly a word differs from Percy's version; but here I have substituted the spellings 'wh' for Percy's 'quh,' in 'quhen,' etc., and 'y' for his 'z' in 'zoung, zou,' etc.

+The Story+ has had historical foundations suggested for it by Percy and Chambers. Percy identified Young Waters with the Earl of Murray, murdered, according to the chronicle of Sir James Balfour, on the 7th of February 1592. Chambers, in 1829, relying on Buchan's version of the ballad, had no doubt that Young Waters was one of the Scots nobles executed by James I., and was very probably Walter Stuart, second son of the Duke of Albany. Thirty years later, Chambers was equally certain that the ballad was the composition of Lady Wardlaw.

In a Scandinavian ballad, Folke Lovmandson is a favourite at court; a little wee page makes the fatal remark and excites the king's jealousy. The innocent knight is rolled down a hill in a barrel set with knives--a punishment common in Scandinavian folklore.

YOUNG WATERS

1.

About Yule, when the wind blew cule, And the round tables began, A there is cum to our king's court Mony a well-favor'd man.