| Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900. |
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| Anonymous. 17th Cent. |
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380. The Twa Corbies
(SCOTTISH VERSION) |
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| AS I was walking all alane | |
| I heard twa corbies making a mane: | |
| The tane unto the tither did say, | |
| 'Whar sall we gang and dine the day?' | |
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| '—In behint yon auld fail dyke | 5 |
| I wot there lies a new-slain knight; | |
| And naebody kens that he lies there | |
| But his hawk, his hound, and his lady fair. | |
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| 'His hound is to the hunting gane, | |
| His hawk to fetch the wild-fowl hame, | 10 |
| His lady 's ta'en anither mate, | |
| So we may mak our dinner sweet. | |
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| 'Ye'll sit on his white hause-bane, | |
| And I'll pike out his bonny blue e'en: | |
| Wi' ae lock o' his gowden hair | 15 |
| We'll theek our nest when it grows bare. | |
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| 'Mony a one for him maks mane, | |
| But nane sall ken whar he is gane: | |
| O'er his white banes, when they are bare, | |
| The wind sall blaw for evermair.' | 20 |
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GLOSS: corbies] ravens. fail] turf. hause] neck. theek] thatch. |
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