Twa Corbies
Billy Moone and his Pirate Family singing Twa Corbies. This song is sung in Old Scots (or possibly Middle English). Its age is unknown -- most believe it dates to the 1500's. Many thanks to Elder Allen and Elder Hilton. They add so much to the performance! I'm pleased to count them among my crew. Translation: As I was walkin' all alane, I haerd twa corbies makin' mane. [As I was walking all alone, I heard two carrion-crows (or ravens) crying loudly.] Th't ane untae 'tither did say-o, "Whar sall we gang an' dine th'day?" [One of them, unto the other did say-o, "Where shall we go and dine today?" (In other words, what are we going to eat for breakfast?") "It's in ahint yon auld fell dyke, I wot thur lyes a new-slain knight." ["It's behind that distant grassy hill (just at the edge off sight), I know (because I learned it from someone else) there lies a freshly-killed knight"] "Naebody kens tha' he lyes thur-o, but his hawk, his hoond, and his lady-faire." ["Nobody knows (because they cannot see him) that he lies there-o, except his hawk, his dog, and his refined (beautiful, gentle) lady."] "His hawk is tae the huntin' gane, his hoond tae fetch the wild-fowl hame." "His lady's ta'en anither mate-o, sae we mah hae our denner swaet!" "Sae ye'll set on his white house-bane an' I'll pyke out his bonny-blue eyen." "An' mony-a-lock o' his gauden-hair-o sall theek our nest when it grows baer." "Thur's mony-an-ane ower him maks mane!" "But nane sall ken whaur he has gane!" "An' ower his white banes, when they lye baer-o, the wind sall blaw forevermare."
Billy Moone and his Pirate Family singing Twa Corbies. This song is sung in Old Scots (or possibly Middle English). Its age is unknown -- most believe it dates to the 1500's. Many thanks to Elder Allen and Elder Hilton. They add so much to the performance! I'm pleased to count them among my crew. Translation: As I was walkin' all alane, I haerd twa corbies makin' mane. [As I was walking all alone, I heard two carrion-crows (or ravens) crying loudly.] Th't ane untae 'tither did say-o, "Whar sall we gang an' dine th'day?" [One of them, unto the other did say-o, "Where shall we go and dine today?" (In other words, what are we going to eat for breakfast?") "It's in ahint yon auld fell dyke, I wot thur lyes a new-slain knight." ["It's behind that distant grassy hill (just at the edge off sight), I know (because I learned it from someone else) there lies a freshly-killed knight"] "Naebody kens tha' he lyes thur-o, but his hawk, his hoond, and his lady-faire." ["Nobody knows (because they cannot see him) that he lies there-o, except his hawk, his dog, and his refined (beautiful, gentle) lady."] "His hawk is tae the huntin' gane, his hoond tae fetch the wild-fowl hame." "His lady's ta'en anither mate-o, sae we mah hae our denner swaet!" "Sae ye'll set on his white house-bane an' I'll pyke out his bonny-blue eyen." "An' mony-a-lock o' his gauden-hair-o sall theek our nest when it grows baer." "Thur's mony-an-ane ower him maks mane!" "But nane sall ken whaur he has gane!" "An' ower his white banes, when they lye baer-o, the wind sall blaw forevermare."