An open illuminated medieval manuscript with musical notes and a decorated initial letter, a quill beside it, storybook style — The ballads in their natural home — sung verse on vellum. AI-generated illustration (2026-09-26). AI-generated dramatization art — not a historical depiction.

Sayings

The outlaw in his own words — or as close as five centuries allow. Every verse below is quoted verbatim from a public-domain Child ballad text, with its citation. The spelling is the ballads' own; it has not been modernized.

A note on the texts

These quotations are taken from the public-domain texts of Francis James Child's The English and Scottish Popular Ballads as reproduced in the standard online editions (see sources). Child's ballad numbers are given with each quotation, and "fytte" is used for the Gest's eight sections. Translations in parentheses are this site's, and are marked as such — they are not part of the quotation.

Editorial honesty. Ballad texts vary between manuscripts and prints. Where Child prints multiple versions (A, B, C...), the version quoted is the one cited. These are the words of the tradition, not of any historical person.

The summons

Child 117A (Gest), fytte 1, st. 1 — the opening of the great epic:

LYTHE and listin, gentilmen, That be of frebore blode; I shall you tel of a gode yeman, His name was Robyn Hode.

("Listen, gentlemen of freeborn blood; I shall tell you of a good yeoman; his name was Robin Hood." — this site's translation.)

Child 117A (Gest), fytte 1, st. 2 — the poet's promise:

Robyn was a prude outlawe, Whyles he walked on grounde; So curteyse an outlawe as he was one Was never none yfounde.

("Robin was a proud outlaw while he walked on ground; so courteous an outlaw as he was one was never found." — this site's translation.)

The code

Child 117A (Gest), fytte 1, sts. 10–11 — Robin's orders to Little John:

But loke ye do no husbonde harme, That tylleth with his ploughe. No more ye shall no gode yeman That walketh by grene-wode shawe; Ne no knyght ne no squyer That wol be a gode felawe.

("But see that you do no harm to a husbandman who tills with his plough. No more shall you harm any good yeoman who walks by the greenwood shade; nor any knight nor squire who will be a good fellow." — this site's translation.)

Child 117A (Gest), fytte 1, st. 13 — the targets:

These bisshoppes and these archebisshoppes, Ye shall them bete and bynde; The hye sherif of Notyingham, Hym holde ye in your mynde.

("These bishops and these archbishops, you shall beat and bind; the high sheriff of Nottingham, keep him in your mind." — this site's translation.)

Child 117A (Gest), fytte 1, st. 14 — the outlaw's devotion:

Robyn loued Oure dere Lady; For dout of dydly synne, Wolde he neuer do compani harme That any woman was in.

("Robin loved Our dear Lady; for dread of deadly sin, he would never do harm to any company in which there was a woman." — this site's translation.)

The forest

Child 119A (Robin Hood and the Monk), sts. 1–4 — the famous opening, the greenwood in summer:

IN somer, when the shawes be sheyne, And leves be large and long, Hit is full mery in feyre foreste To here the foulys song:

("In summer, when the woods are bright, and leaves are large and long, it is full merry in fair forest to hear the birds' song." — this site's translation.)

Child 117A (Gest), fytte 1, st. 3 — the greenwood as home:

There dwelte a straunge yeman, In a londe of hys owne; Hys name it was Robyn Hode, The yeman of the crowne.

(Note: this stanza follows the opening in Child's A-text; "the yeman of the crowne" hints at the Gest's ending — the king's pardon. — editorial note.)

The knight

Child 117A (Gest), fytte 1, st. 61 — Robin questions the sorrowful knight:

"What tydynges, dere syr knyght?" Sayd Robyn, "Tel me trewe; Art thou a knyght of mekyll myght, Or els a squyer of degre?"

("What tidings, dear sir knight? said Robin. Tell me truly: are you a knight of much might, or else a squire of degree?" — this site's translation.)

Child 117A (Gest), fytte 2, st. 79 — the loan, on the Virgin's security:

"Haue here foure hondred pounde," Sayd Robyn to the knyght, "And take hit to thyne owne hond, And spende hit at thy wyll."

("Have here four hundred pounds, said Robin to the knight, and take it into thine own hand, and spend it at thy will." — this site's translation.)

The archery

Child 117A (Gest), fytte 5, st. 248 — the contest at Nottingham:

Thryes Robyn shot a bout, And alway he slist the wand, And so dyd gode Gylberte With the whyte hande.

("Thrice Robin shot about, and always he slit the wand; and so did good Gilbert with the white hand." — this site's translation. Gilbert Whitehand is the Gest's champion archer besides Robin.)

Child 152A (Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow), st. 1 — the broadside contest:

Come listen a while, you gentlemen all, With a hey down down a down down, That are in this bower within, For a story of gallant bold Robin Hood I purpose to begin.

The bridge

Child 125A (Robin Hood and Little John), sts. 1–2 — the meeting:

When Robin Hood was about twenty years old, With a hey down down a down down, He happen'd to meet Little John, A jolly brisk blade, right fit for the trade, For he was a stout young man.

Guy of Gisborne

Child 118A (Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne), st. 1 — the darkest ballad's opening:

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

(Compare the Monk's opening above — the tradition reused its finest weather. — editorial note.)

The death

Child 120A (Robin's Death), sts. 1–2 — the end at Kirklees:

When Robin Hood and Little John Down a down a down a down, Went oer yon bank of broom, Said Robin Hood to Little John, We have shot for many a pound, But never gain'd an inch.

(Note: the Percy Folio text is fragmentary; stanzas are numbered as in Child. The "bank of broom" is the road to Kirklees. — editorial note.)

Child 120A (Robin's Death), st. 26 — the last arrow:

"Give me my bent bow in my hand," Says Robin Hood to Little John, "And a broad arrow Ile let flee, And where this arrow is taken up, There shall my grave digg'd be."

A True Tale (1632)

Child 154A (Martin Parker), sts. 9–10 — the first full statement of Robin's charity:

But Robbin Hood so gentle was, And bore so brave a minde, If any in distresse did passe, To them he was so kinde That he would give and lend to them, To helpe them at their neede: This made all poore men pray for him, And wish he well might speede.

How to use these

Each quotation may be reused freely — the texts are public domain. If you republish them, cite the Child number and stanza as given here, and note that the spelling is the ballads' own. For the full texts, see sources.