Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 231.
| 1 |
When spring appeard in all its bloom,
And flowers grew fresh and green,
As May-a-Roe she set her down,
To lay gowd on her seam. |
| 2 |
But word has come to that lady,
At evening when 'twas dark,
To meet her love in gude greenwood,
And bring to him a sark. |
| 3 |
'That's strange to me,' said May-a-Roe,
'For how can a' this be?
A month or twa is scarcely past
Sin I sent my lovie three.' |
| 4 |
Then May-a-Roe lap on her steed,
And quickly rade away;
She hadna ridden but hauf a mile,
Till she heard a voice to say: |
| 5 |
'Turn back, turn back, ye ventrous maid,
Nae farther must ye go;
For the boy that leads your bridle rein
Leads you to your overthrow.' |
| 6 |
But a' these words she neer did mind,
But fast awa did ride;
And up it starts him Hynde Henry,
Just fair by her right side. |
| 7 |
'Ye'll tarry here, perfidious maid,
For by my hand ye'se dee;
Ye married my brother, Brown Robin,
Whan ye shoud hae married me.' |
| 8 |
'O mercy, mercy, Hynde Henry,
O mercy have on me!
For I am eight months gane wi child,
Therefore ye'll lat me be.' |
| 9 |
'Nae mercy is for thee, fair maid,
Nae mercy is for thee;
You married my brother, Brown Robin,
Whan ye shoud hae married me.' |
| 10 |
'Ye will bring here the bread, Henry,
And I will bring the wine,
And ye will drink to your ain love,
And I will drink to mine.' |
| 11 |
'I winna bring here the bread, fair maid,
Nor yet shall ye the wine,
Nor will I drink to my ain love,
Nor yet shall ye to thine.' |
| 12 |
'O mercy, mercy, Hynde Henry,
Until I lighter be!
Hae mercy on your brother's bairn,
Tho ye hae nane for me.' |
| 13 |
'Nae mercy is for thee, fair maid,
Nae mercy is for thee;
Such mercy unto you I'll gie
As what ye gae to me.' |
| 14 |
Then he's taen out a trusty brand,
And stroakd it ower a strae,
And thro and thro her fair body
He's gart cauld iron gae. |
| 15 |
Nae meen was made for that lady,
For she was lying dead;
But a' was for her bonny bairn,
Lay spartling by her side. |
| 16 |
Then he's taen up the bonny bairn,
Handled him tenderlie,
And said, Ye are o my ain kin,
Tho your mother ill used me. |
| 17 |
He's washen him at the crystal stream,
And rowd him in a weed,
And namd him after a bold robber
Who was calld Robin Hood. |
| 18 |
Then brought to the next borough's town,
And gae him nurses three;
He grew as big in ae year auld
As some boys woud in three. |
| 19 |
Then he was sent to guid squeel-house,
To learn how to thrive;
He learnd as muckle in ae year's time
As some Boys would in five. |
| 20 |
'But I wonder, I wonder,' said little Robin,
'Gin eer a woman bare me;
For mony a lady spiers for the rest,
But nae ane spiers for me. |
| 21 |
'I wonder, I wonder,' said little Robin,
'Were I of woman born;
Whan ladies my comrades do caress,
They look at me wi scorn.' |
| 22 |
It fell upon an evening-tide,
Was ae night by it lane,
Whan a' the boys frae guid squeel-house
Were merrily coming hame, |
| 23 |
Robin parted frae the rest,
He wishd to be alane;
And when his comrades he dismist,
To guid greenwood he's gane. |
| 24 |
When he came to guid greenwood,
He clamb frae tree to tree,
To pou some o the finest leaves,
Ffor to divert him wi. |
| 25 |
He hadna pu'd a leaf, a leaf,
Nor brake a branch but ane,
Till by it came him Hynde Henry,
And bade him lat alane. |
| 26 |
'You are too bauld a boy,' he said,
'Sae impudent you be,
As pu the leaves that's nae your ain,
Or yet to touch the tree.' |
| 27 |
'O mercy, mercy, gentleman,
O mercy hae on me!
For if that I offence hae done,
It was unknown to me.' |
| 28 |
'Nae boy comes here to guid greenwood
But pays a fine to me;
Your velvet coat, or shooting-bow,
Which o them will ye gie?' |
| 29 |
'My shooting-bow arches sae well,
Wi it I canno part;
Lest wer't to send a sharp arrow
To pierce you to the heart.' |
| 30 |
He turnd him right and round about,
His countenance did change:
'Ye seem to be a boy right bauld;
Why can ye talk sae strange? |
| 31 |
'I'm sure ye are the bauldest boy
That ever I talkd wi;
As for your mother, May-a-Roe,
She was neer sae bauld to me.' |
| 32 |
'O, if ye knew my mother,' he said,
'That's very strange to me;
And if that ye my mother knew,
It's mair than I coud dee.' |
| 33 |
'Sae well as I your mother knew,
Ance my sweet-heart was she;
Because to me she broke her vow,
This maid was slain by me.' |
| 34 |
'O, if ye slew my mother dear,
As I trust ye make nae lie,
I wyte ye never did the deed
That better paid shall be.' |
| 35 |
'O mercy, mercy, little Robin,
O mercy hae on me!'
'Sic mercy as ye pae my mother,
Sic mercy I'll gie thee. |
| 36 |
'Prepare yourself, perfidious man,
For by my hand ye'se dee;
Now come's that bluidy butcher's end
Took my mother frae me.' |
| 37 |
Then he hae chosen a sharp arrow,
That was baith keen and smart,
And let it fly at Hynde Henry,
And piercd him to the heart. |
| 38 |
These news hae gaen thro Stirling town,
Likewise thro Hunting-ha;
At last it reachd the king's own court,
Amang the nobles a'. |
| 39 |
When the king got word o that,
A light laugh then gae he,
And he's sent for him little Robin,
To come right speedilie. |
| 40 |
He's putten on little Robin's head
A ribbon and gowden crown,
And made him ane o's finest knights,
For the valour he had done. |
