Cruel Sister

There lived a Lord in the North Country
With a down down derry down
And he had daughters one, two, three
With a down down derry derry down

A young man came a-courting there
And he won the heart of the youngest fair

He gave the youngest a golden ring
But he didn't give the eldest anything

O sister come let us walk out
And see the ships that sail about

As they walked down by the salty brim
The eldest pushed the youngest in

O sister lend to me your hand
And I will give you house and land

I'll neither lend you hand nor glove
But I will have your own true love

There she floated like a swan
And the salt sea bore her body on

A harper walked along the strand
And he saw her body float to land

He made a harp of her breast bone
And its song would melt a heart of stone

Then he came to her father's hall
To play the harp before them all

But as he laid it on a stone
The harp began to play alone

The first string sang a doleful sound
Of how the bride her sister drowned

The second string, when he tried
In terror sits the guilty bride

The third string sang beneath his bow
And surely now her tears will flow