Hind Horn

"Oh Hindhorn Fair and Hindhorn Free

Where were you born, in what country?"

"In the good green wood there I was born

And my family before me

For seven long years I served the king

And as for wages, I never got none

But only the sight of his daughter"

"The bark and the broom blooms bonnie

And that was through an auger bore

In the morning bright and early"

"My love gave me a silver wand

For to rule o'er all the land

And she gave me a gay gold ring

With virtue above all other

As long as this ring keeps its hue

You know I am your lover true

But if the ring grows pale and wan"

"The bark and the broom blooms bonnie

You know I love another man

In the morning bright and early"

"So he hoisted his sails and away sailed he

Sailed on to a far country

But when he looked the ring upon

He knew that she loved another

So he's hoisted his sails and home came he

Home unto his own country

And the first man that he looked upon"

"The bark and the broom blooms bonnie

It chanced to be a beggar man

In the morning bright and early"

"What news, what news, my good old man

What news, what news have you to me?"

"Sad news, sad news," said the beggar man

"Today is our queen's wedding

Oh, you lend me your begging weed

And I'll lend you my riding steed"

"My begging weed? Well, it'll suit thee

The bark and the broom blooms bonnie

And your riding steed? Well, it'll suit me

In the morning bright and early"

"The bride came trooping down the stairs

A comb of red gold in her hair

A cup of red wine in her hand

And that she gave to the beggar

Out of the cup he drunk the wine

And into the cup he dropped the ring"

"Or got you it by sea, or got you it by land?

The bark and the broom blooms bonnie

Or got you it from a drowned man's hand

In the morning bright and early?"

"Oh, not by sea and not by land

Nor yet from off a drowned man's hand

I got it at my wooing gay

And I'll give it to you at your wedding

I'll take the red gold from my head

I'll follow you and beg my bread

I'll take the red gold from my head"

"The bark and the broom blooms bonnie

And follow you forevermore

In the morning bright and early"