The English and Scottish Popular Ballads :: :: University of Virginia Library

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads

Edited by Francis James Child.

Part I.

II.

III.

IV.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

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Hynde Horn

HIND HORN—G

[_]

Kinloch MSS, VII, 117. It appears to have been derived by Miss Kinnear from Christy Smith.

1

‘Hynde Horn's bound, love, and Hynde Horn's free;
Whare was ye born? or frae what cuntrie?’

2

‘In gude greenwud whare I was born,
And all my friends left me forlorn.

3

‘I gave my love a gay gowd wand,
That was to rule oure all Scotland.

4

‘My love gave me a silver ring,
That was to rule abune aw thing.

5

‘Whan that ring keeps new in hue,
Ye may ken that your love loves you.

6

‘Whan that ring turns pale and wan,
Ye may ken that your love loves anither man.’

7

He hoisted up his sails, and away sailed he
Till he cam to a foreign cuntree.

8

Whan he lookit to his ring, it was turnd pale and wan;
Says, I wish I war at hame again.

9

He hoisted up his sails, and hame sailed he
Until he cam till his ain cuntree.

10

The first ane that he met with,
It was with a puir auld beggar-man.

11

‘What news? what news, my puir auld man?
What news hae ye got to tell to me?’

12

‘Na news, na news,’ the puirman did say,
‘But this is our queen's wedding-day.’

13

‘Ye'll lend me your begging-weed,
And I'll lend you my riding-steed.’

14

‘My begging-weed is na for thee,
Your riding-steed is na for me.’

15

He has changed wi the puir auld beggar-man.

16

‘What is the way that ye use to gae?
And what are the words that ye beg wi?’

17

‘Whan ye come to yon high hill,
Ye'll draw your bent bow nigh until.

18

‘Whan ye come to yon town-end,
Ye'll lat your bent bow low fall doun.

19

‘Ye'll seek meat for St Peter, ask for St Paul,
And seek for the sake of your Hynde Horn all.

20

‘But tak ye frae nane o them aw
Till ye get frae the bonnie bride hersel O.’

21

Whan he cam to yon high hill,
He drew his bent bow nigh until.

22

And when he cam to yon toun-end,
He loot his bent bow low fall doun.

23

He sought for St Peter, he askd for St Paul,
And he sought for the sake of his Hynde Horn all.

24

But he took na frae ane o them aw
Till he got frae the bonnie bride hersel O.

25

The bride cam tripping doun the stair,
Wi the scales o red gowd on her hair.

26

Wi a glass o red wine in her hand,
To gie to the puir beggar-man.

27

Out he drank his glass o wine,
Into it he dropt the ring.

28

‘Got ye't by sea, or got ye't by land,
Or got ye't aff a drownd man's hand?’

29

‘I got na't by sea, I got na't by land,
Nor gat I it aff a drownd man's hand;

30

‘But I got it at my wooing,
And I'll gie it to your wedding.

31

‘I'll tak the scales o gowd frae my head,
I'll follow you, and beg my bread.

32

‘I'll tak the scales o gowd frae my hair,
I'll follow you for evermair.’

33

She has tane the scales o gowd frae her head,
She's followed him, to beg her bread.

34

She has tane the scales o gowd frae her hair,
And she has followd him evermair.

35

Atween the kitchen and the ha,
There he loot his cloutie cloak fa.

36

The red gowd shined oure them aw,
And the bride frae the bridegroom was stown awa.