  O daughter, why do ye laugh and weep, One with another? For woe to wake and for will to sleep, Mother, my mother. But weep ye winna the day ye wed, One with another. For tears are dry when the springs are dead, Mother, my mother. Too long have your tears run down like rain, One with another. For a long love lost and a sweet love slain, Mother, my mother. Too long have your tears dripped down like dew, One with another. For a knight that my sire and my brethren slew, Mother, my mother. Let past things perish and dead griefs lie, One with another. O fain would I weep not, and fain would I die, Mother, my mother. One with another. But sair and strange are the gifts I give, Mother, my mother. And what will ye give for your father's love? One with another. Fruits full few and thorns enough, Mother, my mother. And what will ye give for your mother's sake? One with another. Tears to brew and tares to bake, Mother, my mother. And what will ye give your sister Jean? One with another. A bier to build and a babe to wean, Mother, my mother. And what will ye give your sister Nell? One with another. The end of life and beginning of hell, Mother, my mother. And what will ye give your sister Kate? One with another. Earth's door and hell's gate, Mother, my mother. And what will ye give your brother Will? One with another. Life's grief and world's ill, Mother, my mother. One with another. A bed of turf to turn into, Mother, my mother. And what will ye give your brother John? One with another. The dust of death to feed upon, Mother, my mother. And what will ye give your bauld bridegroom? One with another. A barren bed and an empty room, Mother, my mother. And what will ye give your bridegroom's friend? One with another. A weary foot to the weary end, Mother, my mother. And what will ye give your blithe bridesmaid? One with another. Grief to sew and sorrow to braid, Mother, my mother. And what will ye drink the day ye're wed? One with another. But ae drink of the wan well-head, Mother, my mother. And whatten a water is that to draw? One with another. We maun draw thereof a', we maun drink thereof a', Mother, my mother. One with another. Green herb of death, fine flower of sleep, Mother, my mother. Are there ony fishes that swim therein? One with another. The white fish grace, and the red fish sin, Mother, my mother. Are there ony birds that sing thereby? One with another. O when they come thither they sing till they die, Mother, my mother. Is there ony draw-bucket to that well-head? One with another. There's a wee well-bucket hangs low by a thread, Mother, my mother. And whatten a thread is that to spin? One with another. It's green for grace, and it's black for sin, Mother, my mother. And what will ye strew on your bride-chamber floor? One with another. But one strewing and no more, Mother, my mother. And whatten a strewing shall that one be? One with another. The dust of earth and sand of the sea, Mother, my mother. One with another. Sighing and shame and the bones of the dead, Mother, my mother. And what will ye wear for your wedding gown? One with another. Grass for the green and dust for the brown, Mother, my mother. And what will ye wear for your wedding lace? One with another. A heavy heart and a hidden face, Mother, my mother. And what will ye wear for a wreath to your head? One with another. Ash for the white and blood for the red, Mother, my mother. And what will ye wear for your wedding ring? One with another. A weary thought for a weary thing, Mother, my mother. And what shall the chimes and the bell-ropes play? One with another. A weary tune on a weary day, Mother, my mother. And what shall be sung for your wedding song? One with another. A weary word of a weary wrong, Mother, my mother. |
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