62. The Bramble Brier
For detailed discussion of the relation of this ballad to the fifth story of the fourth day of the Decameron, see PMLA xxxiii 327-95; and for its currency as traditional song BSM 109, adding Virginia (FSV 64), Tennessee (BTFLS 11 27), Arkansas (OFS i 381-2), Indiana (SFLQ v 176-7), and Michigan (BSSM 59-61). Our two North Carolina texts are grammatically pretty rough, like most of the texts from American tradition.
The Hunt, or, The Cruel Brothers.' Secured from Frank Proffitt.
Sugar Grove, Watauga county, in August, 1924.
1 One day as she sat silently courting
Her brothers says, 'Come over here.
Your courtship shall be shortly ended;
We'll bring him headlong to his grave.'
2 To begin this bloody murder
A-hunting. hunting they must go;
Along with them for to flatter,
Along with them all for to go.
3 They hunted over hills and lonely mountains
And through some valleys were unknown,
Until they came to a patch of briers,
And there they did him kill and thrown.
4 It was late when they returneth,
Their sister ask for the servant man.
'We lost him in the woods a-hunting
And never more could we him find.'
5 One day as she lay silent, weeping,
Her true love come to her bed and stood.
He was poor and swath [1] and ghostly looking,
All wallered over in gores of blood.
6 'What weeps you here, my pretty fair one?
It's only a folly for you to find.
Your brothers being hard and cruel
In such a place you may me find.'
7 She hunted o'er hills and lonely mountains
And through some valleys were unknown
Until she came to a patch of briers.
And there .she found him killed and thrown.
8 His pretty fair cheeks with blood had dyed,
His lips were salt as any brine.
She kissed him over, over, crying,
'Here lies the bosom friend of mihe.'
9 Three days and nights she did stay by him,
All down upon her bended knees;
In the midst of all her grief and sorrow
She uttered forth such words as these :
10 'I didn't entending staying by you
Until my heart was broke with woe.
I feel sharp hunger coming on me
Which will cause me back home to go.'
11 It was late when she returneth,
Her brothers ask her where she'd been.
She said : 'You hard-hearted, deceitful villains,
For him alone you both shall swing,'
12 To get shed of this bloody murder
Out on the sea they both did go ;
Out on the sea they both went rowing.
And the sea proved both their graves.
1. The editor is unable to guess what meaning was attached to this word
B. 'The 'Prentice Boy.' Reported by Mrs. Sutton as sung by Mrs. Becky Gordon of Saluda Mountain, Henderson county, in the summer of 1928. "This one she said she learned from her mother, who was raised on Saluda Mountain."
1 There was a man who lived a merchant,
He had two sons and a daughter fair ;
A prentice boy that was bound to him.
To him alone was left the same.
2 One evening they were silent, courting,
Her brothers tranced [2] by the door,
Saying, 'Now your courtship'll soon be over,
I'!! hasten you uns to your grave.'
3 Oh, to begin this bloody murder
A-hunting these three men did go;
Over hills and lonely mountings
And lonesome valleys they did go.
4 'Twas late that night when they return-ed.
Their sister asked them where they'd been.
'What makes you make sich straight inquiring
About that young and servant man?'
5 'Becayse I hyerd your silent whisper.
Pray tell me, brother; my heart will break.'
6 'Twas late that night when she was sleeping
He 'peared to her by her bedside.
All cut and gashed like being wounded,
All beat up into gores of blood.
7 She rose next morning bright and early
And hunting her young man did go,
It's over hills and lonely mountings,
Some lonesome valleys she did go.
8 Before she come to the place of trial
There were the dead, him killed and thrown.
Three days and nights she fasted by him.
All on her bended knees did stand.
9 She kissed him over and over, crying.
Saying, 'This dear bosom was a friend of mine.
10 I thought, my dear, I would stay by you
Until my heart did sink with woe,
I feel sharp hunger creeping on me
And forces me homeward to go.'
11 'Twas late the third night when she return-ed,
Her brothers asked her where she'd been.
'You most unkind and cruel creatures,
For him alone you both shall swing.'
12 Now to git shet of that bloody murder
Across the ocean they did go.
The wind did blow, and it was no wonder
The stormy sea blowed 'em both to their graves.
2. Probably miswritten for "chanced." Cf. M.E. and dial, "traunce," to tramp about.
-------------
62. The Bramble Briar [music from Vol. IV]
'The 'Prentice Boy.' Sung by Aunt Becky Gordon. Recorded on July 19, 1939, but no place given. The title given by the singer is 'The Silk Merchant's Daughter.' The story is practically identical with 'In Seaport Town.' Cf. SharpK I 313, No. 48E. As frequently in these re-recordings, the first stanza does not begin with the initial measures.
For melodic relationship cf. **SharpK i 313, No. 48E, measures 1-2; ibid. 310, version A, last two measures; OFS i 381, No. 100, measures 1-4.
Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: f. Structure: aa1bcbc (2,2,2,2,2,2) = abb (4,4,4) = nmm (inverted barform).
'The Ditch of Briars.' Sung by Mr. and Mrs. James York. From previous recording of Dr. W. A. Abrams, Boone, August 8, 1940. Owing to the condition of the record it is not possible to understand the words of the first stanza. The story in general is the same as in the previous version, 'The 'Prentice Boy' (62B). G. Malcolm Laws in NAB classifies this as derived from British broadsides.
Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: f. Structure abed (3,3,2,2).
3 Early, early the next morning,
Hunting, hunting they would go.
Little (lid he think of bloody murder,
So a-hunting they did go.
4 When they returned late in the evening,
She inquired of where he went.
The brothers and whispered lowly,
'Brother, tell me if you can.'
5. We left him in the wild woods hunting,
And his face on earth you no more shall see.
He's crossing o'er the deep blue ocean.
He'll return no more to thee.
6 That night as she lay on her bed a-weeping,
His ghost to her it did appear.
'Then go unto yon ditch of briars,
There you will my body find.'
She rose early the next morning,
Gave at home.
She went till she came to the ditch of briars
Where her true love'd been killed and thrown.
His face was gray and
Tears in his eyes
She took his pale, cold lips a-cryin',
'You were the dearest dear of mine.'
'Since my two brothers have been so cruel
As to take your good, sweet life away,
One grave shall hold us both together,
While on this earth I'll no longer stay.'