Ye couldna see her lilie feet, Binnorie, O Binnorie; Her gowden fringes were sae deep, By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie. "Sair will they be, whae'er they be, Binnorie, O Binnorie; The hearts that live to weep for thee!" By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie. There cam' a harper passing by, Binnorie, O Binnorie; The sweet pale face he chanced to spy, By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie. And when he looked that lady on, Binnorie, O Binnorie; He sighed and made a heavy moan, By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie. He has ta'en three locks o' her yellow hair, Binnorie, O Binnorie; And wi' them strung his harp sae rare, By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie. He brought the harp to her father's hall; Binnorie, O Binnorie; And there was the court assembled all; By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie. He set the harp upon a stane, Binnorie, O Binnorie; And it began to play alane, By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie. And sune the harp sang loud and clear, Binnorie, O Binnorie! "Farewell, my father and mither dear!" By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie. And neist when the harp began to sing, Binnorie, O Binnorie! 'Twas "Farewell, sweetheart!" said the string, By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie. And then as plain as plain could be, Binnorie, O Binnorie! "There sits my sister wha drowned me!" By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie. * * * * * THE DEMON LOVER. "O, where hae ye been, my lang-lost love, This lang seven years an' more?" "O, I'm come to seek my former vows Ye granted me before." "O, haud your tongue o' your former vows, For they'll breed bitter strife; O, haud your tongue o' your former vows, For I am become a wife." He turned him right an' round about, And the tear blinded his e'e; "I wad never hae trodden on Irish ground If it hadna been for thee. "I might hae had a king's daughter Far, far ayont the sea, I might hae had a king's daughter, Had it nae been for love o' thee." "If ye might hae had a king's daughter, Yoursel' ye hae to blame; Ye might hae taken the king's daughter, For ye kenn'd that I was nane." "O fause be the vows o' womankind, But fair is their fause bodie; I wad never hae trodden on Irish ground Had it nae been for love o' thee." "If I was to leave my husband dear, And my twa babes also, O where is it ye would tak' me to, If I with thee should go?" "I hae seven ships upon the sea, The eighth brouct me to land, Wi' four-and-twenty bold mariners, And music of ilka hand." She has taken up her twa little babes, Kiss'd them baith cheek and chin; "O fare ye weel, my ain twa babes, For I'll never see you again." She set her foot upon the ship, No mariners could she behold; But the sails were o' the taffetie, And the masts o' the beaten gold. "O how do you love the ship?" he said, "O how do you love the sea? And how do you love the bold mariners That wait upon thee and me?"