Ed de Moel

Child Ballads - Lyrics

Child 17
Hind Horn
Version G

Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 135. "From the recitation of my niece, M. Kinnear, 23 August, 1826:" the north of Scotland.

Narrative

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.

This page most recently updated on 05-Mar-2011, 10:57:24.
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