370
41. Hind Etin
4 Mulberry wuds are a' my ain;
My father gied them me,
To sport and play when I thought lang;
And they sall na be tane by thee.'
My father gied them me,
To sport and play when I thought lang;
And they sall na be tane by thee.'
5 And ae she pu'd the tither berrie,
Na thinking o' the skaith,
And said, To wrang ye, Hynde Etin,
I wad be unco laith.
Na thinking o' the skaith,
And said, To wrang ye, Hynde Etin,
I wad be unco laith.
6 But he has tane her by the yellow locks,
And tied her till a tree,
And said, For slichting my commands,
An ill death sall ye dree.
And tied her till a tree,
And said, For slichting my commands,
An ill death sall ye dree.
7 He pu'd a tree out o the wud,
The biggest that was there,
And he howkit a cave monie fathoms deep,
And put May Margret there.
The biggest that was there,
And he howkit a cave monie fathoms deep,
And put May Margret there.
8 'Now rest ye there, ye saucie may;
My wuds are free for thee;
And gif I tak ye to mysell,
The better ye'll like me.'
My wuds are free for thee;
And gif I tak ye to mysell,
The better ye'll like me.'
9 Na rest, na rest May Margret took,
Sleep she got never nane;
Her back lay on the cauld, cauld floor,
Her head upon a stane.
Sleep she got never nane;
Her back lay on the cauld, cauld floor,
Her head upon a stane.
10 'O tak me out,' May Margret cried,
'O tak me hame to thee,
And I sall be your bounden page
Until the day I dee.'
'O tak me hame to thee,
And I sall be your bounden page
Until the day I dee.'
11 He took her out o the dungeon deep,
And awa wi him she's gane;
But sad was the day an earl's dochter
Gaed hame wi Hynde Etin.
And awa wi him she's gane;
But sad was the day an earl's dochter
Gaed hame wi Hynde Etin.
*****
12 It fell out ance upon a day
Hynde Etin's to the hunting gane,
And he has tane wi him his eldest son,
For to carry his game.
Hynde Etin's to the hunting gane,
And he has tane wi him his eldest son,
For to carry his game.
13 I wad ask ye something, father,
An ye wadna angry be;'
'Ask on, ask on, my eldest son,
Ask onie thing at me.'
An ye wadna angry be;'
'Ask on, ask on, my eldest son,
Ask onie thing at me.'
14 My mother's cheeks are aft times weet,
Alas! they are seldom dry;'
'Na wonder, na wonder, my eldest son,
Tho she should brast and die.
Alas! they are seldom dry;'
'Na wonder, na wonder, my eldest son,
Tho she should brast and die.
15 'For your mother was an earl's dochter,
Of noble birth and fame,
And now she's wife o Hynde Etin,
Wha neer got christendame.
Of noble birth and fame,
And now she's wife o Hynde Etin,
Wha neer got christendame.
16 But we'll shoot the laverock in the lift,
The buntlin on the tree,
And ye'll tak them hame to your mother,
And see if she 'll comforted be.'
The buntlin on the tree,
And ye'll tak them hame to your mother,
And see if she 'll comforted be.'
*****
17 I wad ask ye something, mother,
An ye wadna angry be;'
'Ask on, ask on, my eldest son,
Ask onie thing at me.'
An ye wadna angry be;'
'Ask on, ask on, my eldest son,
Ask onie thing at me.'
18 'Your cheeks they are aft times weet,
Alas! they're seldom dry;'
'Na wonder, na wonder, my eldest son,
Tho I should brast and die.
Alas! they're seldom dry;'
'Na wonder, na wonder, my eldest son,
Tho I should brast and die.
19 For I was ance an earl's dochter,
Of noble birth and fame,
And now I am the wife of Hynde Etin,
Wha neer got christendame.'
Of noble birth and fame,
And now I am the wife of Hynde Etin,
Wha neer got christendame.'
*****
C
Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 67, communicated by Mr James Nicol, of Strichen; Motherwell's Minstrelsy, p. 287; Motherwell's MS., p. 450.
1 'O well like I to ride in a mist,
And shoot in a northern win,
And far better a lady to steal,
That's come of a noble kin.'
And shoot in a northern win,
And far better a lady to steal,
That's come of a noble kin.'
2 Four an twenty fair ladies
Put on this lady's sheen,
And as mony young gentlemen
Did lead her ower the green.
Put on this lady's sheen,
And as mony young gentlemen
Did lead her ower the green.
