Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 135. "From the
recitation of my niece, M. Kinnear, 23 August, 1826:" the
north of Scotland.
| 1 |
'Hynde Horn's bound love, and Hynde Horn's free,
Whare was ye born, or in what countrie?' |
| 2 |
'In gude greenwud whare I was born,
And all my friends left me forlorn. |
| 3 |
'I gave my love a silver wand;
That was to rule oure all Scotland. |
| 4 |
'My love gave me a gay gowd ring;
That was to rule abune a' thing.' |
| 5 |
'As lang as that ring keeps new in hue,
Ye may ken that your love loves you. |
| 6 |
'But 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 that he cam to a foreign countrie. |
| 8 |
He looked at his ring; it was turnd pale and wan;
He said, 'I wish I war at hame again.' |
| 9 |
He hoisted up his sails, and hame sailed he,
Until that he came to his ain countrie. |
| 10 |
The first ane that he met wi
Was wi a puir auld beggar man. |
| 11 |
'What news, what news, my silly old man?
What news hae ye got to tell to me?' |
| 12 |
'Na news, na news,' the puir man did say,
'But this is our queen's wedding day.' |
| 13 |
'Ye'll lend me your begging weed,
And I'll gie you my riding steed.' |
| 14 |
'My begging weed is na for thee,
Your riding steed is na for me.' |
| 15 |
But he has changed wi the beggar man,
. . . . . |
| 16 |
'Which is the gate that ye used to gae?
And what are the words ye beg wi?' |
| 17 |
'Whan ye come to yon high hill,
Ye'll draw your bent bow nigh until. |
| 18 |
'Whan ye come to yonder town,
Ye'll let your bent bow low fall down. |
| 19 |
'Ye'll seek meat for St Peter, ask for St Paul,
And seek for the sake of Hynde Horn all. |
| 20 |
'But tak ye frae nane of them a',
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 whan he cam to yonder town,
He lute his bent bow low fall down. |
| 23 |
He saught meat for St Peter, he askd for St Paul,
And he sought for the sake of Hynde Horn all. |
| 24 |
But he would tak frae nane o them a',
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 of red wine in her hand,
To gie to the puir auld beggar man. |
| 27 |
It's out he drank the glass o wine,
And into the glass 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 got I it off a drownd man's hand. |
| 30 |
'But I got it at my wooing,
And I'll gie it at 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 of gowd frae my hair,
I'll follow you, for evermair.' |
| 33 |
She has tane the scales o gowd frae her head,
She has followed him to beg her bread. |
| 34 |
She has tane the scales o gowd frae her hair,
And she has followed him for evermair. |
| 35 |
But atween the kitchen and the ha,
There he lute his cloutie cloak fa. |
| 36 |
And the red gowd shined oure him a',
And the bride frae the bridegroom was stown awa. |
