Sunday, December 9, 2018

The Twa Corbies

There's a lot of Scots-English vocabulary in this one, but all you really need to know is that corbies are crows, a hoosebane is a house-bone or skull, and e'en are eyes.

Listen and purchase

As I was walking all alane
I heard twa corbies makin' mane
And t'ane untae the t'ither did say-o
Whaur sall we gang and dine today-o
Whaur sall we gang and dine today

It's in ahind yon auld fail dike
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 hawk has tae the hunting gane
His hound tae fetch the wild cock hame
His lady's ta'en anither mate-o
So we maun mak' oor dinner swate-o
We maun mak' oor dinner swate

It's ye'll sit on his white hoosebane
And I'll pike oot his bonny blue e'en
And wi' a lock o' his gauden hair-o
We'll theeck oor nest when it grows bare-o
Theeck oor nest when it grows bare

It's many a ane for him mak's mane
But nane sall ken whaur he is gane
And o'er his bones when they lie bare-o
The wind sall blaw forever mair-o
The wind sall blaw forever mair


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