Robin Hood and Sir Guy (Ballad 118)

Reading time: (3 minutes)

When shawes beene sheene, and shradds full fayre,
And leeves both large and longe,
It is merry, walking in the fayre forrest,
To heare the small birds songe.

shaws = woods
sheene = bright
shradds = coppices

The woodweele sang, and wold not cease,
Amongst the leaves a lyne.
"And it is by two wight yeomen,
By deare God, that I meane.

Me thought they did mee beate and binde,
And tooke my bow mee froe;
If I bee Robin a-live in this lande,
I'le be wrocken on both them towe."

"Sweavens are swift, master," quoth John,
"As the wind that blowes o'er a hill;
For if itt be never soe lowde this night,
To-morrow it may be still."

"Buske yee, bowne yee, my merry men all,
For John shall goe with mee;
For I'le goe seeke yond wight yeomen
In greenwood where the bee."

The cast on their gowne of greene,
A shooting gone are they,
Untill they came to the merry greenwood,
Where they had gladdest bee;

There were the ware of [a] wight yeoman,
His body leaned to a tree.

A sword and a dagger he wore by his side,
Had beene many a mans bane,
And he was cladd in his capull-hyde,
Topp, and tayle, and mayne.

capull-hyde = horsehide

"Stand you still, master," quoth Litle John,
"Under this trusty tree,
And I will goe to yond wight yeomen,
To know his meaning trulye.'

"A, John, by me thou sets noe store,
And that's a farley thinge;
How offt send I my men beffore,
And tarry my-selfe behinde?

"It is noe cunning a knave to ken,
And a man but heare him speake;
And itt were not for bursting of my bowe,
John, I wold thy head breake"

Questions. Make sure you can answer these questions about what you just read:

• what did Robin see in his dream? why did Little John urge him to ignore the dream?
• what was the man in the forest wearing? what kind of weapons did he carry?
• why did Robin and John quarrel with one another? where did Little John go?

Source: Francis James Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (1882-1898). Weblink. There are additional notes online by Stephen Knight and Thomas H. Ohlgren: weblink.