THE TWA CORBIES

As I was walking all alane, I heard twa corbies making a mane; The tane unto the t’other say, ‘Whar sall we gang and dine the day?’ ’In behint yon auld fail[2] dyke, I wot there lies a new-slain knight; And naebody kens that he lies there But his hawk, his hound, and lady fair.

’His hound is to the hunting gane, His hawk to fetch the wild-fowl hame, His lady’s ta’en another mate, So we may make our dinner sweet. ’Ye’ll sit on his white hause bane, And I’ll pike out his bonny blue e’en: Wi’ ae lock o’ his gowden hair, We’ll theek our nest when it grows bare. ‘Mony a one for him makes mane, But nane sall ken whae he is gane: O’er his white banes, when they are bare, The wind sall blaw for evermair.’