Twa Corbies
Trad. (Roud 5 ; Child 26 ; Ballad Index C026) arr. Carl Edlund Anderson
As I was walking all alane
I heard twa corbies making mane.
And tane untae the other did say-o:
“Where shall we gang and dine today-o?
Where shall we gang and dine today?”
“In behind yon auld fell dyke
I wot there lies a new slain knight;
And naebody kens that he lies there-o
But his hawk and his hound and his lady fair-o,
His hawk and his hound and his lady fair.”
“His hound is tae the hunting gane;
His hawk tae fetch the wild fowl hame;
His lady's taen another mate-o;
So we may make our dinner sweet-o,
We may make our dinner sweet.”
“O, you’ll sit on his white hause bane,
And I'll pike out his bonny blue een.
With many a lock o' his golden hair-o
We'll theek our nest when it grows bare-o,
Theek our nest when it grows bare.”
“O, many a one for him makes mane,
But nane shall ken where he is gane.
O'er his white bones when they are bare-o
The wind shall blow forever mair-o,
The wind shall blow forever mair.”
