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The Bonnie Hind (Child 50)

from Blood & Roses Volume 4 by Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger

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Scots ballad-makers seem to have been fascinated by the theme of incest. "Lizie Wan" (Child 51), "The King's Dochter Lady Jean (Child 52) and "Sheath and Knife" (Child 16, see BLOOD AND ROSES Vol, 5) all bear witness to this preoccupation. "The Bonny Hind" has none of the grandeur of "Lizie Wan" or "Sheath and Knife": the tragedy is muted and pathos substitutes for the wild anguish of those ballads. Nevertheless, the pathos is never allowed to descend into mawkishness. That part of the story which describes a young man discovering a sister in the girl he has just ravished is also found in a Faroese balland, and Finnish and Icelandic versions have been collected.

lyrics

O lane she stands and lane she gangs
Doon by yon gairdens green,
And there she saw the brawest young man
That she had ever seen,

O lane she stands and lane she gangs
Doon by yon hollin tree;
And there she saw this braw young man,
A brisk young squire was he.

Gie me your green manteel, he said
And the kerchie' fae your heid;
Gif ye dinnae gie me your green manteel
I'll tak' your maidenheid.

He's ta'en her by the milk-white haund
And gently laid her doom,
And when he's ta'en his will a' her,
Gi'en her a siller kaim.

And what if there's a bairn, kind sir,
And what if there are name?
Gif ye come fae the king's high court
You'll tell to me your name.

I dinnae come fae the king's high court,
I'm new come fae the sea,
I never was a courtier, lass,
But when I courted thee.

When I'm abroad they ca' me Jaick
And whiles they ca' me John,
But when I'm at hame in my faither's ha',
Jock Randal is my name.

Ye lee, ye lee, ye fause, fause chiel
Sae loud's I hear ye lee;
For I'm Lord Randal's ae dochter
He got nae mair but me,

Ye lee, ye lee. my bonnie may
Sae loud's I hear ye lee;
For I'm Lord Randal's only son,
Just new come fae the sea.

She's putten her hand doon by her gair *
Ta'en oot a wee pen-knife,
And putten it in her ain hairt's blood
And ta'en awa' her life.

And he's ta'en up the bonnie may,
The saut tears blint his e'en,
And he has buried his bonnie sister
Below the hollins green.

Then he has gene to his faither's ha',
His faither for to see;
Sing, O and O for yon bonnie hind
Below yon hollin tree.

What needs ye greet for your bonnie hind?
For it ye need nae care;
There's eight-score hinds in yonder park,
And five-score hinds to spare.

Four-score o' them are siller shod
O' them you may tak' three;
But aye he grat for the bonnie hind
Below yon hollin tree.

What needs ye greet for your bonnie hind?
For it ye need nee cure;
Tak' ye the best, leave me the worst,
Since plenty is to spare.

I care nae for your hinds, faither,
I care nae for your fee,
But O and O, for my bonnie hind
Below the hollin tree.

Gin ye were at your sister's bower
Your sister fair to see,
Ye'd think nee mair o' your bonnie hind
Below the hollin tree.

credits

from Blood & Roses Volume 4, released April 12, 1986
Ewan MacColl - vocals
Peggy Seeger - dulcimers

Produced by Calum MacColl
Engineered by Nigel Cazaly

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Ewan MacColl London, UK

This site is maintained by the MacColl family, aiming to make Ewan's catalogue available to download.
Ewan MacColl is known to most as a songwriter and singer, but he was also of significant influence in the worlds of theatre and radio broadcasting. His art reached huge numbers through the folk clubs, greater numbers through his recordings and untold millions through the radio. ... more

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