Cruel Sister

There lived a lady by the North Sea shore Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom Two daughters were the babes she bore Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la As one grew bright as is the sun Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom So coal-black grew the elder one Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la A knight came riding to the lady's door Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom He traveled far to be their wooer Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la He courted one with gloves and rings Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom But he loved the other above all things Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la Oh, sister will you go with me Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom To watch the ships sail on the sea? Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la She took her sister by the hand Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom And led her down to the North Sea strand Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la And as they stood on the windy shore Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom The dark girl threw her sister over Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la Sometimes she sank, sometimes she swam Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom Cryin', "Sister, reach to me your hand" Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la Oh sister, sister, let me live Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom And all that's mine I'll surely give Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la Your own true love that I'll have and more Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom But thou shalt never come ashore Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la And there she floated like a swan Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom The salt sea bore her body on Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la Two minstrels walked along the strand Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom And saw the maiden float to land Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la They've made a harp of her breastbone Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom Whose sound would melt a heart of stone Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la They took three locks of her yellow hair Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom And with them strung the harp so rare Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la They went into her father's hall Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom To play the harp before them all Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la But as they laid it on a stone Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom The harp began to play alone Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la The first string sang a doleful sound Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom The bride her younger sister drowned Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la The second string as that they tried Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom In terror sits the black-haired bride Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la The third string sang beneath their bow Lay the bent to the Bonnie broom And surely now her tears will flow Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la