John Hughson           [The Twa Sisters]                  SA1974.06.10

 This is a fragment of the well-known murder ballad of sibling jealousy first published in a broadside in 1656 (No. 10 in Professor Child’s collection The English and Scottish Popular Ballads).  See also Roud Index no. 8.

There aince twa bonnie lassies that lived in yonder dam,
Binnorie-o and Binnorie;
And the older sister plunged the younger sister in,
Straight into the dams o Binnorie-o

Oh miller, oh miller, there’s something in your dams,
Binnorie-o and Binnorie;
It’s ither a boanie lassie or then a milk-white swan
Coming swimming up the dams o Binnorie-o.