1. SHE lean'd her back unto a thorn; @3Fine flowers in the valley@1 And there she has her two babes born, @3And the green leaves they grow rarely.@1 2. She's ta'en the ribbon frae her hair, And bound their bodies fast and sair. 3. 'Smile na sae sweet, my bonny babes, An' ye smile sae sweet, ye'll smile me dead. 4. 'And, O bonny babes, if ye suck sair, Ye'll never suck by my side mair.' 5. She's ta'en out her little penknife And twinn'd the sweet babes o' their life. 6. She's howket a grave baith deep and wide, And there she's buried them side by side. 7. She's buried them baith beneath the brier, And washed her hands wi' mony a tear. 8. 'O ay, my God, as I look to thee, My babes be atween my God and me! 9. 'And ay their smiles wad win me in, But I am borne down by deadly sin.' 10. She's cover'd them o'er wi' a marble stane, Thinking she wad gang maiden hame. 11. She lookit out owre her castle wa' And saw two naked boys play at the ba'. 12. 'O bonny boys, gin ye were mine I wad cleed you in silk and sabelline. 13. 'O I would dress you in the silk, And wash you ay in morning milk.'— 14. 'O mother dear, when we were thine, You didna prove to us sae kind. 15. 'O cruel mother, we were thine And thou made us to wear the twine. 16. 'But now we're in the heavens hie, @3Fine flowers in the valley@1 And ye have the pains o' hell to drie'— @3And the green leaves they grow rarely; Ten thousand times good night and be wi' thee!@1 | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS [JANUARY 8, 1815] by THOMAS DUNN ENGLISH PHILOMELA: PHILOMELA'S ODE [THAT SHE SANG IN HER ARBOR] by ROBERT GREENE WHEN SHE COMES HOME by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY NUPTIAL SONG by JOHN BYRNE LEICESTER WARREN ENGLAND AND HER COLONIES [OR, DOMINIONS] by WILLIAM WATSON VANITAS VANITATUM, FR. THE DEVIL'S CASE LAW by JOHN WEBSTER THE ADORATION OF DISK BY KING AKHNATEN AND PRINCESS NEFER NEFERIU ATEN by AKHENATEN |