Folk and Traditional Song Lyrics:
Bonny Hind

Bonny Hind

Bonny Hind

It's May she comes and May she goes down by the garden green
It's there she spied a good young squire as good as e'er be seen

It's May she comes and May she goes down by the Holland green
And it's there she spied a brisk young squire as brisk as e'er be seen

"Come give to me your green mantle, give to me your maidenhead
If you won't give me your green mantle, give me your maidenhead"

He's ta'en her by the milk-white hand and gently laid her down
And it's when he raised her up again giving her a silver comb

"Perhaps there may be bends or perhaps there may be none
But if you be a courtier pray tell to me your name"

"Oh I am no courtier" he said "but new come from the sea
Oh I am no courtier" he said "but when I courted thee

They call me Jack when I'm abroad, sometimes they call me John
But when I'm in my father's bower, oh, Jock Randal is my name"

"You lie, you lie, you bonny lad, so loud I hear you lie
For I am Lord Randal's only daughter, he has no more than me"

"You lie, you lie, you bonny lass, so loud I hear you lie
For I am Lord Randal's very own son that new come from the sea"

She's puttin' down by her side and out she's taken a knife
And she's put in in her own heart's blood and taken away her life

And he's taken his only sister with a big tear in his eye
And he's buried his only sister beneath the Holland tree

It's soon he's hied him o'er the dales his father due to see
"It's oh and woe for my bonny hind beneath the Holland tree"

"What care you for a bonny hind, for it you need not care
There's eight score hinds in yon green park and five score is to spare"

"Oh score at them a silver shot and these you may get three
But oh and woe for my bonny hind beneath the Holland tree"

"What care you for your bonny hind, for it you need not care
Take you the best and leave me the worst since plenty is to spare"

"I care not for your hinds, kind sir, I care not for your fee
But it's oh and woe for my bonny hind beneath the Holland tree"

"Oh were you up your sister's bower, your sister fair to see
Oh you'll think no more on your bonny hind beneath the Holland tree"

------------------------------------------------------------------------
recorded by June Tabor on "Abyssynians" (1983) and by Tony Rose
Holland may be a corruption of holly.
Child #50
MJ