一首流傳北歐的民謠〈The Twa Sisters〉，故事因傳述而有著不同的細節，但都講述一對姊妹同時被一個男人追求，男人向姐姐求婚，卻愛上了妹妹，因為忌妒，姐姐將妹妹拋進海中殺害。後來吟遊詩人見到了妹妹的屍體，用她的胸骨與頭髮做成了一把豎琴，詩人如同命運之安排被邀請到姐姐的婚禮上，此時豎琴竟發出哀怨的歌聲，當姐姐聽到豎琴的聲音後，才懊悔地留下眼淚。
傷害在有關係的人之間總是伴隨悔恨，動漫〈空之境界〉中一句經典：「人一輩子只能殺一次人。」因為殺過人之後，人就再也無法把人當人看了，只剩下屠殺，而非殺人，這正是這種悔恨無法撫慰的緣故 ─ 殺了人的人，便再也無法以「人」自居。也因此《論語》亦只談真實與虛偽，不談正義，在正義問題上，孔子只欲「使人無訟」而已。沒有任何一種正義可以抵消人的情感，但是虛假的正義卻是傷害，只造成更大的悔恨與傷痛。
The Pentangle版本的The Twa Sisters: Cruel Sister (1970)。
歌詞 (作者: B. Jansch, D. Thompson, J. Renbourne, J. Mc Shee, T. Cox | 翻譯:瑋麒)
There lived a lady by the North Sea shore
曾經一個女人住在北海岸邊
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散 (註)
Two daughters were the babes she bore
Two daughters were the babes she bore
產下一對小女孩兒
Fa la la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
As one grew bright as is the sun,
年少的一個明亮如日
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散
So coal black grew the elder one.
年長的一個長髮烏黑
Fa la la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
- 間奏 -
- 間奏 -
A knight came riding to the lady's door,
一日一位騎士停駐門前
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散
He'd travelled far to be their wooer.
他千里迢迢前來求姻緣
Fa la la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
He courted one with gloves and rings,
他以手套和戒指向一個女孩訂下婚約
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散
But he loved the other above all things.
但心中愛著另一個女孩勝過世上一切
Fa la la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
- 間奏 -
Oh sister will you go with me
啊! 妹妹你可以跟我走一趟嗎?
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散
To watch the ships sail on the sea?
我們去看看那船帆在海面飄揚?
Fa la la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
She took her sister by the hand
她牽著手帶著她的妹妹
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散
And led her down to the North Sea strand.
領著她走到了北海的岸邊
Fa la la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
- 間奏 -
- 間奏 -
And as they stood on the windy shore
她們所站的岸邊冷風浮面
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散
The dark girl threw her sister o'er.
那黑髮的女孩將妹妹推入了海中
Fa la la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
Sometimes she sank, sometimes she swam,
海面上女孩載浮載沉
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散
Crying, "Sister, reach to me your hand!
哭救著：「姊姊啊! 請伸手救我!
Fa la la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
"Oh Sister, Sister, let me live,
"Oh Sister, Sister, let me live,
姊姊啊! 姊姊! 請救我一命!
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散
And all that's mine I'll surely give."
妳想要甚麼我全部都會給妳。」
Fa la la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
"your own true love that I'll have and more,
「我要的是妳那本屬於我的真愛還有妳
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散
But thou shalt never come ashore."
但如今妳再也不得回到岸上。」
Fa la la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
And there she floated like a swan,
終於妹妹如天鵝般飄在水面
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散
The salt sea bore her body on.
鹹苦的海浪將她的身體捲到了岸上
Fa la la la la la la la la la
- 間奏 -
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
- 間奏 -
Two minstrels walked along the strand
兩個吟遊詩人行經過海岸
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散
And saw the maiden float to land.
見到了可憐的死亡少女漂上了陸地
Fa la la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
They made a harp of her breastbone,
他們取出她的胸骨做成一副豎琴
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散
Whose sound would melt a heart of stone.
其聲音足以使任何人心碎
Fa la la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
They took three locks of her yellow hair,
他們取下少女的三縷金髮
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散
And with them strung the harp so rare.
為豎琴調上罕見的琴弦
Fa la la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
- 間奏 -
- 間奏 -
They went into her father's hall
吟遊詩人被邀請到父親的大廳裡
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散
To play the harp before them all,
為到來的賓客們演奏豎琴
Fa la la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
But when they laid it on a stone
當詩人將豎琴放在大石上
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散
The harp began to play alone.
豎琴逕自彈奏出音樂
Fa la la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
- 間奏 -
- 間奏 -
The first string sang a doleful sound:
第一條琴弦唱出悲苦的旋律：
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散
"The bride her younger sister drowned."
「新娘淹死了她的妹妹。」
Fa la la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
The second string as that they tried,
詩人試著彈第二條琴弦亦是如此
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散
In terror sits the black-haired bride.
黑髮的新娘驚懼地坐在椅上
Fa la la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
The third string sang beneath their bow,
琴弓下第三條琴弦也開始歌唱：
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
諸魔退散
"And surely now her tears will flow"
「如今，新娘必心碎而哭泣。」
Fa la la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la la la la
嘩啦啦啦啦啦
註：lay the bent to the boonie broom此句與英國民俗有關。此曲是Pentangle從英國民歌Riddles Wisely Expounded取材，將原詞與故事移入，此句因此原封不動被搬入曲中。根據民俗學的考證，此句應與英國與蘇格蘭的驅魔儀式有關，bent可能指號角horn，而boonie應為一種藥草或魔法學用植物。我想，可能由於民俗歌謠往往有陰暗的歷史真實成分，為了避免在唱頌時受到惡靈干擾，故在每一句之間插入lay the bent to the boonie broom與fa la la la la la la的詞，將原故事的陳述句分開，使惡魔無法聽懂。
Riddles Wisely Expounded 收錄於 Child Ballad #1
