Department of English
Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University
The Two Ravens
(1803)
The English translation and the Scottish version of "The Twa Corbies"
The Two Ravens |
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The Twa Corbies (1803) |
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As I was walking all alone, | |
As
I was walking all alane, |
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I heard two ravens making a moan; | |
I heard twa corbies making a mane; | |
One said to the other, | |
The tane unto the t'other say, | |
"Where shall we go and dine today?" | |
"Where sall we gang and dine to-day?" | |
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"In behind that old turf wall, | 5 | "In
behint yon auld fail dyke, |
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I sense there lies a newly slain knight; | |
I wot there lies a new slain knight; | |
And nobody knows that he lies there, | |
And naebody kens that he lies there, | |
But his hawk, his hound and his lady fair." | |
But his hawk, his hound, and his lady fair. | |
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"His hound is to the hunting gone, | |
His hound is to the hunting gane, | |
His hawk to fetch the wild-fowl home, | 10 | His hawk to fetch the wide-fowl hame; | 10 |
His lady's taken another mate, | |
His lady's ta'en another mate, | |
So we may make our dinner sweet." | |
So we may mak our dinner sweet. | |
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"You will sit on his white neck-bone, | |
"Ye'll sit on his white hause-bane, | |
And I'll peck out his pretty blue eyes; | |
And I'll pike out his bonny blue een; | |
With one lock of his golden hair | 15 | Wi ae lock o his gowden hair | 15 |
We'll thatch our nest when it grows bare." | |
We'll theek our nest when it grows bare. | |
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"Many a one for him is moaning, | |
"Mony a one for him makes mane, | |
But nobody will know where he is gone; | |
But nane sall ken where he is gane; | |
Over his white bones, when they lay bare, | |
Oer his white banes, when they are bare, | |
The wind will blow for evermore." | 20 | The wind sall blaw for evermair." | 20 |
Study Questions
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Vocabulary
folk, popular, traditional ballad
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Reference
Home | Introduction to the Study of English Literature | Literary Terms | Learning English
Last updated October 17, 2016