Up then spake a witch woman, Aye from the room aboon; "O, ye may gang to Broomfield hill, 15 And yet come maiden hame.
"For when ye come to the Broomfield hill, Ye'll find your love asleep, With a silver belt about his head, And a broom-cow at his feet. 20
"Take ye the blossom of the broom, The blossom it smells sweet, And strew it at your true love's head, And likewise at his feet.
"Take ye the rings off your fingers, 25 Put them on his right hand, To let him know, when he doth awake, His love was at his command."--
She pu'd the broom flower on Hive-hill, And strew'd on's white hals bane, 30 And that was to be wittering true, That maiden she had gane.
"O where were ye, my milk-white steed, That I hae coft sae dear, That wadna watch and waken me, 35 When there was maiden here?"--
"I stamped wi' my foot, master, And gar'd my bridle ring; But nae kin' thing wald waken ye, Till she was past and gane."-- 40
"And wae betide ye, my gay goss hawk, That I did love sae dear, That wadna watch and waken me, When there was maiden here."--
"I clapped wi' my wings, master, 45 And aye my bells I rang, And aye cry'd, Waken, waken, master, Before the ladye gang."--
"But haste and haste, my gude white steed, To come the maiden till, 50 Or a' the birds of gude green wood Of your flesh shall have their fill."--
"Ye needna burst your gude white steed, Wi' racing o'er the howm; Nae bird flies faster through the wood, 55 Than she fled through the broom."
From Kinloch's _Ancient Scottish Ballads_, (p. 195.)
"I'll wager, I'll wager," says Lord John, "A hundred merks and ten, That ye winna gae to the bonnie broom-fields, And a maid return again."--
"But I'll lay a wager wi' you, Lord John, 5 A' your merks oure again, That I'll gae alane to the bonnie broom-fields, And a maid return again."
Then Lord John mounted his grey steed, And his hound wi' his bells sae bricht, 10 And swiftly he rade to the bonny broom-fields, Wi' his hawks, like a lord or knicht.
"Now rest, now rest, my bonnie grey steed, My lady will soon be here; And I'll lay my head aneath this rose sae red, 15 And the bonnie burn sae near."
But sound, sound, was the sleep he took, For he slept till it was noon; And his lady cam at day, left a taiken and away, Gaed as licht as a glint o' the moon. 20