There were twa sisters lay in a bower.
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
There came a knight to be their wooer.
By the bonnie banks of Binnorie.

He courted the elder with glove and rings,
But he loved the younger above all things.

The elder she was vexËd sore:
She envied her sister’s love the more.

The younger she was vexËd sore:
She envied her sister’s marriage the more.

Upon a morning fair and clear,
The elder said to her sister dear:

“O sister, sister, take my hand
And let’s lay down on the river-strand.”

The younger’s taken her lily hand
And pulled her down on the river-strand:

“O sister, sister, let me kiss
The ruby lips that soon are his!”

She’s taken her elder’s breath away
With kisses as deep as any can say.

The elder’s taken her rosy face,
And stared so hard her breath did race:

“O sister, sister, I’ll kiss, I vow,
Those garnet lips that are his now!”

She’s made her sister pant and moan
With kisses as deep as one may own.

With kisses sweet and sweet embrace
Twa sisters make their heart-beats race.

With sweet embrace and soft words sweet
Twa sisters make their wishes meet.

Twa sisters lay naked in a bower.
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
There came a knight to be their wooer.
By the bonnie banks of Binnorie.

The elder’s taken his glovËd hand
And pressed into it her second band:

“My promised, if to me you’ll be true,
My sister you shall also woo.”

The younger’s taken his hand unpressed
And placed it on her sister’s breast:

“My lover, if you still want my love,
My sister you shall also love.”

To the laird’s astonished son,
Twa sisters smiled and spoke as one:

“If you love me as I love you,
Then you must love my sister true.

“If you’d wed me as I’ll wed you,
Then you must wed my sister true.

“Ye cannot wed just one of twa.
Ye must take us twa sisters all.”

The knight he shook his reeling head.
He ope’d and closed his mouth, then said:

“To love your sister, I’m not loath,
And gladly would I wed you both.

“But what of envy, and what of spite?
While I love one, will th’ other bite?”

The elder’s kissed her sister’s breast.
The younger’s kissed her all the rest.

“Have no fears, O husband dear:
We’ll never bite while you are near.

“For love you one and then the other,
Then while you rest, we’ll love each other.”

Twa sisters have been lately wed
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
With knightly husband in their bed.
By the bonnie banks of Binnorie.