Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 291.
| 1 |
There was a knight and lady bright
Set trysts amo the broom,
The one to come at morning ear,
The other at afternoon. |
| 2 |
'I'll wager a wager wi you,' he said,
'An hundred merks and ten,
That ye shall not go to Broomfield Hills,
Return a maiden again.' |
| 3 |
'I'll wager a wager wi you,' she said,
'A hundred pounds and ten,
That I will gang to Broomfield Hills,
A maiden return again.' |
| 4 |
The lady stands in her bower door,
And thus she made her mane:
'O shall I gang to Broomfield Hills,
Or shall I stay at hame? |
| 5 |
'If I do gang to Broomfield Hills,
A maid I'll not return;
But if I stay from Broomfield Hills,
I'll be a maid mis-sworn.' |
| 6 |
Then out it speaks an auld witch-wife,
Sat in the bower aboon:
'O ye shall gang to Broomfield Hills,
Ye shall not stay at hame. |
| 7 |
'But when ye gang to Broomfield Hills,
Walk nine times round and round;
Down below a bonny burn bank,
Ye'll find your love sleeping sound. |
| 8 |
'Ye'll pu the bloom frae aff the broom,
Strew't at his head and feet,
And aye the thicker that ye do strew,
The sounder he will sleep. |
| 9 |
'The broach that is on your napkin,
Put it on his breast bane,
To let him know, when he does wake,
That's true love's come and gane. |
| 10 |
'The rings that are on your fingers,
Lay them down on a stane,
To let him know, when he does wake,
That's true love's come and gane. |
| 11 |
'And when ye hae your work all done,
Ye'll gang to a bush o' broom,
And then you'll hear what he will say,
When he sees ye are gane.' |
| 12 |
When she came to Broomfield Hills,
She walkd it nine times round,
And down below yon burn bank,
She found him sleeping sound. |
| 13 |
She pu'd the bloom frae aff the broom,
Strew'd it at 's head and feet,
And aye the thicker that she strewd,
The sounder he did sleep. |
| 14 |
The broach that was on her napkin,
She put on his breast bane,
To let him know, when he did wake,
His love was come and gane. |
| 15 |
The rings that were on her fingers,
She laid upon a stane,
To let him know, when he did wake,
His love was come and gane. |
| 16 |
Now when she had her work all dune,
She went to a bush o broom,
That she might hear what he did say,
When he saw she was gane. |
| 17 |
'O where were ye, my guid grey hound,
That I paid for sae dear,
Ye didna waken me frae my sleep
When my true love was sae near?' |
| 18 |
'I scraped wi my foot, master,
Till a' my collars rang,
But still the mair that I did scrape,
Waken woud ye nane.' |
| 19 |
'Where were ye, my berry-brown steed,
That I paid for sae dear,
That ye woudna waken me out o my sleep
When my love was sae near?' |
| 20 |
'I patted wi my foot, master,
Till a' my bridles rang,
But still the mair that I did patt,
Waken woud ye nane.' |
| 21 |
'O where were ye, my gay goss-hawk,
That I paid for sae dear,
That ye woudna waken me out o my sleep
When ye sae my love near?' |
| 22 |
'I flapped wi my wings, master,
Till a' my bells they rang,
But still the mair that I did flap,
Waken woud ye nane.' |
| 23 |
'O where were ye, my merry young men,
That I pay meat and fee,
Ye woudna waken me out o' my sleep
When my love ye did see?' |
| 24 |
'Ye'll sleep mair on the night, master,
And wake mair on the day;
Gae sooner down to Broomfield Hills
When ye've sic pranks to play. |
| 25 |
'If I had seen any armed men
Come riding over the hill-+-
But I saw but a fair lady
Come quietly you until.' |
| 26 |
'O wae mat worth you, my young men,
That I pay meat and fee,
That ye woudna waken me frae sleep
When ye my love did see. |
| 27 |
'O had I waked when she was nigh,
And o her got my will,
I shoudna cared upon the morn
Tho sma birds o her were fill.' |
| 28 |
When she went out, right bitter wept,
But singing came she hame;
Says, I hae been at Broomfield Hills,
And maid returnd again. |
