{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch043.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch043.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch043.htm","text":"Sacred Texts\u00a0\n Legends & Sagas\u00a0\n England\u00a0\n Index\u00a0\n Previous\u00a0\n Next\u00a0\n \n \n \n 43A: The Broomfield Hill\n \n \n 43A.1\tthere was a knight and a lady bright,\n Had a true tryste at the broom;\n The ane gaed early in the morning,\n The other in the afternoon.\n 43A.2\tAnd ay she sat in her mother\u2019s bower door,\n And ay she made her mane:\n \u2018O whether should I gang to the Broomfield Hill,\n Or should I stay at hame?\n 43A.3\t\u2018For if I gang to the Broomfield Hill,\n My maidenhead is gone;\n And if I chance to stay at hame,\n My love will ca me mansworn.\u2019\n 43A.4\tUp then spake a witch-woman,\n Ay from the room aboon:\n \u2018O ye may gang to the broomfield Hill,\n And yet come maiden hame.\n 43A.5\t\u2018For when ye gang to the Broomfield Hill,\n Ye\u2019ll find your love asleep,\n With a silver belt about his head,\n And a broom-cow at his feet.\n 43A.6\t\u2018Take ye the blossom of the broom,\n The blossom it smells sweet,\n And strew it at your true-love\u2019s head,\n And likewise at his feet.\n 43A.7\t\u2018Take ye the rings off your fingers,\n Put them on his right hand,\n To let him know, when he doth awake,\n His love was at his command.\u2019\n 43A.8\tShe pu\u2019d the broom flower on Hive Hill,\n And strewd on\u2019s white hals-bane,\n And that was to be wittering true\n That maiden she had gane.\n 43A.9\t\u2018O where were ye, my milk-white steed,\n That I hae coft sae dear,\n That wadna watch and waken me\n When there was maiden here?\u2019\n 43A.10\t\u2018I stamped wi my foot, master,\n And gard my bridle ring,\n But na kin thing wald waken ye,\n Till she was past and gane.\u2019\n 43A.11\t\u2018And wae betide ye, my gay goss-hawk,\n That I did love sae dear,\n That wadna watch and waken me\n When there was maiden here.\u2019\n 43A.12\t\u2018I clapped wi my wings, master,\n And aye my bells I rang,\n And aye cry\u2019d, Waken, waken, master,\n Before the ladye gang.\u2019\n 43A.13\t\u2018But haste and haste, my gude white steed,\n To come the maiden till,\n Or a\u2019 the birds of gude green wood\n Of your flesh shall have their fill.\u2019\n 43A.14\t\u2018Ye need na burst your gude white steed\n Wi racing oer the howm;\n Nae bird flies faster through the wood,\n Than she fled through the broom.\u2019\n \n \n \n 43B: The Broomfield Hill\n \n \n 43B.1\t\u2018IRR\u2019rrLL wager, I\u2019ll wager, I\u2019ll wager with you\n Five hundred merks and ten,\n That a maid shanae go to yon bonny green wood,\n And a maiden return agen.\u2019\n 43B.2\t\u2018I\u2019ll wager, I\u2019ll wager, I\u2019ll wager with you\n Five hundred merks and ten,\n That a maid shall go to yon bonny green wood,\n And a maiden return agen.\u2019\n * * * * *\n 43B.3\tShe\u2019s pu\u2019d the blooms aff the broom-bush,\n And strewd them on\u2019s white hass-bane:\n \u2018This is a sign whereby you may know\n That a maiden was here, but she\u2019s gane.\u2019\n 43B.4\t\u2018O where was you, my good gray steed,\n That I hae loed sae dear?\n O why did you not awaken me\n When my true love was here?\u2019\n 43B.5\t\u2018I stamped with my foot, master,\n And gard my bridle ring,\n But you wadnae waken from your sleep\n Till your love was past and gane.\u2019\n 43B.6\t\u2018Now I may sing as dreary a sang\n As the bird sung on the brier,\n For my true love is far removd,\n And I\u2019ll neer see her mair.\u2019\n \n \n \n 43C: The Broomfield Hill\n \n \n 43C.1\tTHERE was a knight and lady bright\n Set trysts amo the broom,\n The one to come at morning ear,\n The other at afternoon.\n 43C.2\t\u2018I\u2019ll wager a wager wi you,\u2019 he said,\n \u2018An hundred merks and ten,\n That ye shall not go to Broomfield Hills,\n Return a maiden again.\u2019\n 43C.3\t\u2018I\u2019ll wager a wager wi you,\u2019 she said,\n \u2018A hundred pounds and ten,\n That I will gang to Broomfield Hills,\n A maiden return again.\u2019\n 43C.4\tThe lady stands in her bower door,\n And thus she made her mane:\n \u2018O shall I gang to Broomfield Hills,\n Or shall I stay at hame?\n 43C.5\t\u2018If I do gang to Broomfield Hills,\n A maid I\u2019ll not return;\n But if I stay from Broomfield Hills,\n I\u2019ll be a maid mis-sworn.\u2019\n 43C.6\tThen out it speaks an auld witch-wife,\n Sat in the bower aboon:\n \u2018O ye shall gang to Broomfield Hills,\n Ye shall not stay at hame.\n 43C.7\t\u2018But when ye gang to Broomfield Hills,\n Walk nine times round and round;\n Down below a bonny burn bank,\n Ye\u2019ll find your love sleeping sound.\n 43C.8\t\u2018Ye\u2019ll pu the bloom frae aff the broom,\n Strew\u2019t at his head and feet,\n And aye the thicker that ye do strew,\n The sounder he will sleep.\n 43C.9\t\u2018The broach that is on your napkin,\n Put it on his breast bane,\n To let him know, when he does wake,\n That\u2019s true love\u2019s come and gane.\n 43C.10\t\u2018The rings that are on your fingers,\n Lay them down on a stane,\n To let him know, when he does wake,\n That\u2019s true love\u2019s come and gane.\n 43C.11\t\u2018And when ye hae your work all done,\n Ye\u2019ll gang to a bush o\u2019 broom,\n And then you\u2019ll hear what he will say,\n When he sees ye are gane.\u2019\n 43C.12\tWhen she came to Broomfield Hills,\n She walkd it nine times round,\n And down below yon burn bank,\n She found him sleeping sound.\n 43C.13\tShe pu\u2019d the bloom frae aff the broom,\n Strew\u2019d it at \u2019s head and feet,\n And aye the thicker that she strewd,\n The sounder he did sleep.\n 43C.14\tThe broach that was on her napkin,\n She put on his breast bane,\n To let him know, when he did wake,\n His love was come and gane.\n 43C.15\tThe rings that were on her fingers,\n She laid upon a stane,\n To let him know, when he did wake,\n His love was come and gane.\n 43C.16\tNow when she had her work all dune,\n She went to a bush o broom,\n That she might hear what he did say,\n When he saw she was gane.\n 43C.17\t\u2018O where were ye, my guid grey hound,\n That I paid for sae dear,\n Ye didna waken me frae my sleep\n When my true love was sae near?\u2019\n 43C.18\t\u2018I scraped wi my foot, master,\n Till a\u2019 my collars rang,\n But still the mair that I did scrape,\n Waken woud ye nane.\u2019\n 43C.19\t\u2018Where were ye, my berry-brown steed,\n That I paid for sae dear,\n That ye woudna waken me out o my sleep\n When my love was sae near?\u2019\n 43C.20\t\u2018I patted wi my foot, master,\n Till a\u2019 my bridles rang,\n But still the mair that I did patt,\n Waken woud ye nane.\u2019\n 43C.21\t\u2018O where were ye, my gay goss-hawk,\n That I paid for sae dear,\n That ye woudna waken me out o my sleep\n When ye sae my love near?\u2019\n 43C.22\t\u2018I flapped wi my wings, master,\n Till a\u2019 my bells they rang,\n But still the mair that I did flap,\n Waken woud ye nane.\u2019\n 43C.23\t\u2018O where were ye, my merry young men,\n That I pay meat and fee,\n Ye woudna waken me out o\u2019 my sleep\n When my love ye did see?\u2019\n 43C.24\t\u2018Ye\u2019ll sleep mair on the night, master,\n And wake mair on the day;\n Gae sooner down to Broomfield Hills\n When ye\u2019ve sic pranks to play.\n 43C.25\t\u2018If I had seen any armed men\n Come riding over the hill-+-\n But I saw but a fair lady\n Come quietly you until.\u2019\n 43C.26\t\u2018O wae mat worth you, my young men,\n That I pay meat and fee,\n That ye woudna waken me frae sleep\n When ye my love did see.\n 43C.27\t\u2018O had I waked when she was nigh,\n And o her got my will,\n I shoudna cared upon the morn\n Tho sma birds o her were fill.\u2019\n 43C.28\tWhen she went out, right bitter wept,\n But singing came she hame;\n Says, I hae been at Broomfield Hills,\n And maid returnd again.\n \n \n \n 43D: The Broomfield Hill\n \n \n 43D.1\t\u2018IRR\u2019rrLL wager, I\u2019ll wager,\u2019 says Lord John,\n \u2018A hundred merks and ten,\n That ye winna gae to the bonnie broom-fields,\n And a maid return again.\u2019\n 43D.2\t\u2018But I\u2019ll lay a wager wi you, Lord John,\n A\u2019 your merks oure again,\n That I\u2019ll gae alane to the bonnie broom-fields,\n And a maid return again.\u2019\n 43D.3\tThen Lord John mounted his grey steed,\n And his hound wi his bells sae bricht,\n And swiftly he rade to the bonny broomfields,\n Wi his hawks, like a lord or knicht.\n 43D.4\t\u2018Now rest, now rest, my bonnie grey steed,\n My lady will soon be here,\n And I\u2019ll lay my head aneath this rose sae red,\n And the bonnie burn sae near.\u2019\n 43D.5\tBut sound, sound was the sleep he took,\n For he slept till it was noon,\n And his lady cam at day, left a taiken and away,\n Gaed as licht as a glint o the moon.\n 43D.6\tShe strawed the roses on the ground,\n Threw her mantle on the brier,\n And the belt around her middle sae jimp,\n As a taiken that she\u2019d been there.\n 43D.7\tThe rustling leaves flew round his head,\n And rousd him frae his dream;\n He saw by the roses, and mantle sae green,\n That his love had been there and was gane.\n 43D.8\t\u2018O whare was ye, my gude grey steed,\n That I coft ye sae dear,\n That ye didna waken your master,\n Whan ye kend that his love was here?\u2019\n 43D.9\t\u2018I pautit wi my foot, master,\n Garrd a\u2019 my bridles ring,\n And still I cried, Waken, gude master,\n For now is the hour and time.\u2019\n 43D.10\t\u2018Then whare was ye, my bonnie grey hound,\n That I coft ye sae dear,\n That ye didna waken your master,\n Whan ye kend that his love was here?\u2019\n 43D.11\t\u2018I pautit wi my foot, master,\n Garrd a\u2019 my bells to ring,\n And still I cried, Waken, gude master,\n For now is the hour and time.\u2019\n 43D.12\t\u2018But whare was ye, my hawks, my hawks,\n That I coft ye sae dear,\n That ye didna waken your master,\n Whan ye kend that his love was here?\u2019\n 43D.13\t\u2018O wyte na me, now, my master dear,\n I garrd a\u2019 my young hawks sing,\n And still I cried, Waken, gude master,\n For now is the hour and time.\u2019\n 43D.14\t\u2018Then be it sae, my wager gane,\n \u2019Twill skaith frae meikle ill,\n For gif I had found her in bonnie broomfields,\n O her heart\u2019s blude ye\u2019d drunken your fill.\u2019\n \n \n \n 43E: The Broomfield Hill\n \n \n 43E.1\t\u2018IRR\u2019rrLL wager, I\u2019ll wager wi you, fair maid,\n Five hunder punds and ten,\n That a maid winna gae to the bonnie green bower,\n An a maid return back agen.\u2019\n 43E.2\t\u2018I\u2019ll wager, I\u2019ll wager wi you, kin\u2019 sir,\n Five hunder punds and ten,\n That a maid I\u2019ll gang to the bonnie green bower,\n An a maid return again.\u2019\n 43E.3\tBut when she cam to the bonnie green bower,\n Her true-love was fast asleep;\n Sumtimes she kist his rosie, rosie lips,\n An his breath was wondrous sweet.\n 43E.4\tSometimes she went to the crown o his head,\n Sometimes to the soles o his feet,\n Sometimes she kist his rosie, rosie lips,\n An his breath was wondrous sweet.\n 43E.5\tShe\u2019s taen a ring frae her finger,\n Laid it upon his breast-bane;\n It was for a token that she had been there,\n That she had been there, but was gane.\n 43E.6\t\u2018Where was you, where was ye, my merry men a\u2019,\n That I do luve sae dear,\n That ye didna waken me out o my sleep\n When my true love was here?\n 43E.7\t\u2018Where was ye, where was ye, my gay goshawk,\n That I do luve sae dear,\n That ye didna waken me out o my sleep\n Whan my true love was here?\u2019\n 43E.8\t\u2018Wi my wings I flaw, kin\u2019 sir,\n An wi my bill I sang,\n But ye woudna waken out o yer sleep\n Till your true love was gane.\u2019\n 43E.9\t\u2018Where was ye, my bonnie grey steed,\n That I do luve sae dear,\n That ye didna waken me out o my sleep\n When my true love was here?\u2019\n 43E.10\t\u2018I stampit wi my fit, maister,\n And made my bridle ring,\n But ye wadna waken out o yer sleep,\n Till your true love was gane.\u2019\n \n \n \n 43F: The Broomfield Hill\n \n \n 43F.1\tA NOBLE young squire that livd in the west,\n He courted a young lady gay,\n And as he was merry, he put forth a jest,\n A wager with her he would lay.\n 43F.2\t\u2018A wager with me?\u2019 the young lady reply\u2019d,\n \u2018I pray, about what must it be?\n If I like the humour you shan\u2019t be deny\u2019d;\n I love to be merry and free.\u2019\n 43F.3\tQuoth he, \u2018I will lay you an hundred pounds,\n A hundred pounds, aye, and ten,\n That a maid if you go to the merry broomfield,\n That a maid you return not again.\u2019\n 43F.4\t\u2018I\u2019ll lay you that wager,\u2019 the lady she said,\n Then the money she flung down amain;\n \u2018To the merry broomfield I\u2019ll go a pure maid,\n The same I\u2019ll return home again.\u2019\n 43F.5\tHe coverd her bett in the midst of the hall\n With an hundred and ten jolly pounds,\n And then to his servant straightway he did call,\n For to bring forth his hawk and his hounds.\n 43F.6\tA ready obedience the servant did yield,\n And all was made ready oer night;\n Next morning he went to the merry broomfield,\n To meet with his love and delight.\n 43F.7\tNow when he came there, having waited a while,\n Among the green broom down he lies;\n The lady came to him, and coud not but smile,\n For sleep then had closed his eyes.\n 43F.8\tUpon his right hand a gold ring she secur\u2019d,\n Down from her own finger so fair,\n That when he awaked he might be assur\u2019d\n His lady and love had been there.\n 43F.9\tShe left him a posie of pleasant perfume,\n Then stept from the place where he lay;\n Then hid herself close in the besom of the broom,\n To hear what her true-love would say.\n 43F.10\tHe wakend and found the gold ring on his hand,\n Then sorrow of heart he was in:\n \u2018My love has been here, I do well understand,\n And this wager I now shall not win.\n 43F.11\t\u2018O where was you, my goodly gawshawk,\n The which I have purchasd so dear?\n Why did you not waken me out of my sleep\n When the lady, my lover, was here?\u2019\n 43F.12\t\u2018O with my bells did I ring, master,\n And eke with my feet did I run;\n And still did I cry, Pray awake, master,\n She\u2019s here now, and soon will be gone.\u2019\n 43F.13\t\u2018O where was you, my gallant greyhound,\n Whose collar is flourishd with gold?\n Why hadst thou not wakend me out of my sleep\n When thou didst my lady behold?\u2019\n 43F.14\t\u2018Dear master, I barkd with my mouth when she came,\n And likewise my coller I shook,\n And told you that here was the beautiful dame,\n But no notice of me then you took.\u2019\n 43F.15\t\u2018O where was thou, my serving-man,\n Whom I have cloathed so fine?\n If you had wak\u2019d me when she was here,\n The wager then had been mine.\u2019\n 43F.16\t\u2018In the night ye should have slept, master,\n And kept awake in the day;\n Had you not been sleeping when hither she came,\n Then a maid she had not gone away.\u2019\n 43F.17\tThen home he returnd, when the wager was lost,\n With sorrow of heart, I may say;\n The lady she laughd to find her love crost,-+-\n This was upon midsummer-day.\n 43F.18\t\u2018O squire, I laid in the bushes conceald,\n And heard you when you did complain;\n And thus I have been to the merry broomfield,\n And a maid returnd back again.\n 43F.19\t\u2018Be chearful, be chearful, and do not repine,\n For now \u2019tis as clear as the sun,\n The money, the money, the money is mine,\n The wager I fairly have won.\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Next: 44. The Two Magicians","title":"The Child Ballads: 43. The Broomfield Hill","type":"page"}