Near Edinburgh town was a young child born
(With a high loo low and a high loo land)
His name was called young Hind Horn
(And the birk and the broom blooms bonnie-O)

Seven years he served the King,
All for the sake of his daughter Jean.

The King an angry man was he
And he sent young Hind Horn to the sea,

She's given to him a golden ring
With seven diamonds set therein.

When this ring grows pale and wan
You may know that my love is gone.

One day he looked his ring upon
And he knew she loved another man.

He's left the sea and come to land
And there he's met an old beggar man.

"What's news, what news doth thee betide?"
"No news but the Princess Jean's a bride."

"Will you give me thy begging tweed
And I'll give you my riding steed?"

The beggar he was bound for to ride
And Hind Horn he was bound for the bride.

When he came to the King's own gate
He sought a drink for Hind Horn's sake.

He drank the wine and dropped the ring
And bade them take it to the Lady Jean.

"Got you this ring by sea or land
Or got you this from a dead man's hand?"

"Not from sea and not from land
But I got it from thy milk-white hand."

"I'll cast off my gown of brown
And I'll follow you from town to town."

"You needn't cast off your gowns of brown,
For I'll make you the lady of many a town."

"I'll cast off my dress of red
And I'll follow you and beg my bread."

"You nedn't cast off your dress of red,
For I'll maintain you with wine and bread."

The bridgegroom had the bride first wed
But young Hind Horn took her first to bed.





abc | midi | pdf

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Source: Milner D and Kaplan P, 1983, Songs of England, Ireland and Scotland, Oak, New York

Notes:
This book is usually very imprecise in its attributions (but perhaps still unusually precise for music for the general folk publication in that period!) The information given is as follows:

"Source: Text collated from various sources; tune from G. Greig and and A. Keith, Last Leaves of the Traditional Ballad and Ballad Airs.

Recording: Ewan MacColl, The English And Scottish Popular Ballads (The Child Ballads"


This usually means that the lyrics are as it appears on that recording, but I haven't listened to it recently so I cannot confirm that.




Roud: 28 (Search Roud index at VWML)
Laws:
Child: 17