Twa Bonnie Maidens

There were twa bonnie maidens, and three bonnie maidens,
Cam' ower the Minch, and cam' ower the main,
Wi' the wind for their way and the corrie for their hame,
And they're dearly welcome tae Skye again.

cho: Come alang, come alang, wi' your boatie and your song,
Tae my hey! bonnie maidens, my twa bonnie maids!
The nicht, it is dark, and the redcoat is gane,
And you're dearly welcome tae Skye again.

There is Flora, my honey, sae neat and sae bonnie,
And ane that is tall, and handsome withall.
Put the ane for my Queen and the ither for my King
And they're dearly welcome tae Skye again.

There's a wind on the tree, and a ship on the sea,
Tae my hey! bonnie maidens, my twa bonnie maids!
By the sea mullet's nest I will watch o'er the main,
And you're dearly welcome tae Skye again.
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Recorded by Archie Fisher on "The Man With a Rhyme." The air is the
O'Carolan tune "Planxty George Brabazon." The event described here
took place during Bonnie Prince Charlie's months in hiding after
his defeat at the Battle of Culloden (April 16, 1746). By late
July, the Hannoverians thought they had Charlie pinned down in the
outer Hebrides. But a woman named Flora MacDonald set out to rescue
him. She dressed him as her maid, and in this disguise the two
managed to escape the redcoat sentries and sail across to the
island of Skye. Despite the hints in this song, there was no
romantic attachment between Flora MacDonald and Bonnie Prince
Charlie (apart from the fact that Flora, like all the young women
of the time, seems to have been enamoured of Charlie). The two were
together for only a short time, and indeed Charles had apparently
already formed the only significant romantic attachment of his life
-- but
glossary:
alang: along
ane: one
cam': came
gane: gone
hame: home
ither: other
nicht: night
ower: over
sae: so
twa: two
wi': with

RW