I sing a version of Hind Horn. I really love singing it and it is probably the ballad that I sing most frequently It comes from the singing of Joe Estey, of New Brunswick, Canada. The recording shows his singing to be very similar in style to that of Willie Scott with his deliberate timing, clear enunciation and marked emphasis on certain words. Joe Estey was an old woodsman and ballad singer, a veteran of the lumber camps and he was in his late seventies when Sandy Ives (Dr. Edward Ives of the University of Illinois) discovered him and recorded his singing. He also guided Lee Haggerty and Henry Felt, to his home in New Brunswick in 1962. They were on their way back from the Miramichi Folk Music Festival when they called and recorded several songs from Mr. Estey, but this splendid version of Child 17 stood out as the crown jewel of the bunch. It also has a tune that seems ideal to carry the words of this ballad:-

"Where were you bred and where were you born?"
"In dear old Scotland, where I was bred and born.
I am going for to leave you, so, love, do not mourn
Until the day when I do return."

"Here is a ring; I'll give it unto thee
As a token of true friendship given by me.
And when this ring is faded and worn,
You'll know that your true love is with another one. "

For seven long years he sailed o'er the sea;
He sailed and he sailed to a foreign country.
He looked at the ring; it was faded and worn.
He knew that his true love was with another one.

Then he turned, he sailed o 'er the sea;
He sailed and he sailed to his own country.
The first one he met when he came to the land
Was a poor old beggarman.

"Old man, good man, old man," said he,
"What news, what news have you got for me?"
"Bad news, bad news," the old man did say,
"Tomorrow is your true love's wedding day. "

"Then give to me your rags and your shield,
And I'll give to you my coat and my steel. "
"Your coat and your steel is far too good for me,
While an old beggar's clothes is not fit for thee. "

"Let it be right, or let it be wrong,
The old beggar's clothes I will put on.
I will beg from the richest to the poorest in the land;
Take nothing but the best from the young bride's hand.'

So he begged from Peter and he begged from Paul;
He begged from the richest to the poorest of them all.
He begged till he came to his own true love's home.
He stood on the bridge, he leaned against the gate.

Down came the bride, a-tripping down the stairs,
Rings on her fingers and jewelry in her hair.
The glass of wine she held in her hand,
She gave it to the old beggannan.

Out of the tumbler he drank the wine;
Hack in the tumbler he dropped the ring.
She said, "Where did you get it, on sea or on land,
Or did you steal it off some dead man's hand?"

"I did not get it on sea or on land;
Neither did I take it off a dead man's hand.
It's a token of true friendship when we used to court so gay,
And I have returned it all on your wedding day. "

Rings from her fingers she did pull off,
Trinket from her hair she did let fall.
Saying, "Willie, I'll go with you, for now and evermore,
Supposing that we beg from door to door. "

Oh, between the kitchen and the hall,
The old beggar's clothes he did let fall.
His costly garments they shone far above them all.
He was the finest looking young man that stood in the hall

It was early the next morning, just at the break of day,
This couple hastened off to church and made no delay.
It's now they are married, as you may understand.
No more will he be called the old beggarman.