No. 98: Brown Adam
[There are no known traditional US or Canadian versions of this ballad.]
CONTENTS:
1. Child's Narrative
2. Footnotes (There are no footnotes)
3. Brief (Kittredge)
4. Child's Ballad Texts A-C
5. End-Notes
6. Additions and Corrections (There are no Additions and Corrections)
ATTACHED PAGES (see left hand column):
1. Recordings & Info: 98. Brown Adam
A. Roud Number 482 (14 Listings)
2. English and Other Versions (Including Child versions A-C)]
3. Sheet Music: Brown Adam (Bronson texts- music)
Child's Narrative: Brown Robin
A. 'Brown Adam,' Jamieson-Brown Manuscript, fol. 17.
B. 'Broun Edom,' Harris Manuscript, fol. 27 b, No 26.
C. 'Brown Adam the Smith,' Buchan Manuscripts, I, 46.
'Brown Adam' was No 14 of the fifteen ballads furnished William Tytler by Mrs. Brown in 1783: Anderson, in Nichols's Illustrations, VII, 178. The ballad was first printed in the Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, II, 16, 1802, with the omission of Mrs. Brown's second stanza, and some changes. Scott remarks that he had seen a copy printed on a single sheet.
C 1, 3, 6, 7 are very close to A 1, 2, 3, 4. A 2 was not printed by Scott, and if these stanzas were borrowed, A 2 must have been taken from the Jamieson Manuscript, to which other cases of correspondence warrant a suspicion that one of Buchan's contributors had access. C has the usual marks of Buchan's copies, great length, vulgarity, and such extravagance and absurdity as are found in stanzas 23, 26, 29.
A Danish ballad, from manuscripts of the sixteenth century and later, has a remote likeness to 'Brown Adam:' 'Den afhugne Haand,' Grundtvig, No 199, IV, 153. Lawi Pedersøn, who has shown bad faith to women, makes love to Lutzelil, who knows his ways, and rejects him summarily. Lawi rides off in wrath, saying that she shall be sorry for it. The maid is afraid to go to church for nine months, but ventures at Easter. Lawi stops her in a wood. She begs him to do her no harm, feigns to be amenable, and gives him an assignation at an off-lying apartment in which she sleeps with her maids; then rides away, laughing over her successful evasion. She tells her father how she has met Lawi, and begs him to be on the watch. Lawi comes at night, knocks, and is answered, according to the formula of Danish ballads, that she has made no appointment and he cannot come in. Lawi threatens to take off the door, and does so. Lutzelil's father is standing ready with his sword, and cuts off Lawi's hand.
The copy in Scott's Minstrelsy is translated by Grundtvig, Engelske og skotske Folkeviser, No 45, p. 291; by Schubart, p. 65; Arndt, Blütenlese, p. 231; Rosa Warrens, Schottische Volkslieder, No 29, p. 130; Knortz, Schottische Balladen, No 2, p. 5.
Brief Description by George Lyman Kittredge
'Brown Adam' was No. 14 of the fifteen ballads furnished William Tytler by Mrs. Brown in 1783. A Danish ballad (Grundtvig, No. 199) has a remote likeness to 'Brown Adam.'
Child Ballad Texts
'Brown Adam'- Version A; Child 98 Brown Adam
Jamieson-Brown Manuscript, fol. 17.
1 O wha woud wish the win to blaw,
Or the green leaves fa therewith?
Or wha wad wish a leeler love
Than Brown Adam the Smith?
2 His hammer's o the beaten gold,
His study's o the steel,
His fingers white are my delite,
He blows his bellows well.
3 But they ha banishd him Brown Adam
Frae father and frae mither,
An they ha banishd him Brown Adam
Frae sister and frae brither.
4 And they ha banishd Brown Adam
Frae the flowr o a' his kin;
An he's biggit a bowr i the good green wood
Betwen his lady an him.
5 O it fell once upon a day
Brown Adam he thought lang,
An he woud to the green wood gang,
To hunt some venison.
6 He's ta'en his bow his arm oer,
His bran intill his han,
And he is to the good green wood,
As fast as he coud gang.
7 O he's shot up, an he's shot down,
The bird upo the briar,
And he's sent it hame to his lady,
Bade her be of good cheer.
8 O he's shot up, an he's shot down,
The bird upo the thorn,
And sent it hame to his lady,
And hee'd be hame the morn.
9 Whan he came till his lady's bowr-door
He stood a little foreby,
And there he heard a fu fa'se knight
Temptin his gay lady.
10 O he's taen out a gay gold ring,
Had cost him mony a poun:
'O grant me love for love, lady,
An this sal be your own.'
11 'I loo Brown Adam well,' she says,
'I wot sae does he me;
An I woud na gi Brown Adam's love
For nae fa'se knight I see.'
12 Out has he ta'en a purse of gold,
Was a' fu to the string:
'Grant me but love for love, lady,
An a' this sal be thine.'
13 'I loo Brown Adam well,' she says,
'An I ken sae does he me;
An I woudna be your light leman
For mair nor ye coud gie.'
14 Then out has he drawn his lang, lang bran,
And he's flashd it in her een:
'Now grant me love for love, lady,
Or thro you this sal gang!'
15 'O,' sighing said that gay lady,
'Brown Adam tarrys lang!'
Then up it starts Brown Adam,
Says, I'm just at your han.
16 He's gard him leave his bow, his bow,
He's gard him leave his bran;
He's gard him leave a better pledge,
Four fingers o his right han.
---------
'Broun Edom'- Version B; Child 98 Brown Adam
Harris Manuscript, fol. 27 b, No 26.
1 . . . . .
. . . . .
For wha ere had a lealer luve
Than Broun Edom the smith?
2 His studie was o the beaten gowd,
His hammer o the pith;
His cords waur o the gude green silk,
That blew his bellows with.
3 It fell out ance upon a time
Broun Edom he thoucht lang,
That he wald gae to see his luve,
By the le licht o the mune.
-----------
'Brown Adam the Smith'- Version C; Child 98 Brown Adam
Buchan Manuscripts, I, 46.
1 O wha woud wish the win to blaw,
The green leaves fa therewith?
O wha would wish a leeler luve
Than Brown Adam the Smith?
2 O he forsook the royal court,
And knights and lords sae gude,
And he is to the black smithy,
To learn to shoe a steed.
3 His hammer-shaft o gude red gowd,
His studdy o the steel,
His fingers whyte, and maids' delight,
And blaws his bellows weel.
4 He being a favourite with the king
Caused him get mony a fae,
And sae their plots they did contrive
To work him grief and wae.
5 Of treason then he was accused
By his fause enemie,
Which caused the king to make a vow
That banishd he shoud be.
6 Then banishd hae they Brown Adam,
Frae father and frae mither,
And banished hae they him Brown Adam
Frae sister and frae brither.
7 And they hae banishd him Brown Adam,
The flower o a' his kin;
He built a bower in gude green wood,
For his true love and him.
8 But it fell ance upon a day
The king's young son thought lang,
And minded him on Brown Adam,
Oft rade on his right han.
9 Then he sent for him Brown Adam,
To shoe his milk-white steed,
That he might see him ance in court,
Mang knights o noble bleed.
10 When Brown Adam he read these lines,
A light laugh then gae hee:
'What's this that's made their hearts to fa,
They lang sae sair for mee?'
11 Then out it speaks his gay ladye:
Brown Adam, bide wi mee;
For if ye gang to court, I fear
Your face I'll never see.
12 'Cheer up your heart, my ain true-love,
Let naething cause your grief;
Though I be absent for some days,
Ye seen will get relief.'
13 Then he has kissd his gay ladye,
And rade alang the lay,
And hunted a' the wild birds there,
As he rade on the way.
14 He shot the bunting o the bush,
The linnet o the brier,
And sent them on to gude green wood,
His ladye's heart to cheer.
15 He shot the bunting o the bush,
The linnet o the wand,
And sent them on to his ladye,
Forbade her to think lang.
16 He shot the bunting o the bush,
The linnet o the thorn,
And sent them on to his ladye,
Said he'd be hame the morn.
17 A thought then came into his mind,
As he rade on the way,
Some evil in his absence might
Befa his ladye gay.
18 Now when he had the prince' steed shod,
And bound again to ryde,
He turned his horse to Ringlewood;
Some days he meant to byde.
19 But when he turned to Ringlewood;
Ae foot's horse woudna ryde;
Whan he turned to his luver's bower,
He flew like ony glyde.
20 When he drew near to his luve's bower,
There he alighted down,
For the hearing o his great horse tramp
Ere he wan to the town.
21 Whan he came to his luver's bower,
He heard a dolefu din;
He wasna aware o a fu fause knight,
His true-love's bower within.
22 He bound his steed to his ain stall,
And gae him corn and hay,
And listened at a shott-window,
To hear what he would say.
23 The first and thing the knight drew out,
It was a coffer fine;
It was as fu o gude black silk,
Make ladyes for to shine.
24 'Ye are too lack o luve, ladye,
And that's a hatefu thing;
Luve me, and lat Brown Adam be,
And a' this shall be thine.'
25 'O well I like Brown Adam,' she said,
'I wyte hee hates nae mee;
I winna forsake him Brown Adam
For a' your gifts an thee.'
26 The next and thing the knight drew out,
It was a coffer small;
It was as fou o shambo gluves,
Woud had her hands frae caul.
27 'Ye are too lack o luve, ladye,
An that's a hatefu thing;
Luve me, an lat Brown Adam be,
An a' this shall be thine.'
28 'O well like I Brown Adam,' she said,
'I'm sure he hates nae me;
I winna forsake him Brown Adam
For a' your gifts an thee.'
29 The next and thing the knight drew out
It was a coffer fine;
It was as fu of gude red gowd
As a guinnea coud get in.
30 'You are too lack o luve, ladye,
And that's a hatefu thing;
Luve me, and lat Brown Adam be,
And a' this shall be thine.'
31 'O well I like Brown Adam,' she said,
'I'm sure hee hates nae mee;
I winna forsake him Brown Adam
For a' the gowd ye'll gie.'
32 Then his mild mood did quickly change,
And grew mair fierce and cruel,
And then drew out a trusty brand,
Which made her heart to pruel.
33 'Since I by you am slighted sae,
Since I frae you maun part,
I swear a vow before I gae,
That this shall pierce your heart.'
34 'But still I like Brown Adam,' she said,
'I wat hee hates nae mee;
And if he knew my troubles now
At my call woud hee be.
35 'Although he were sax miles awa,
He'd seen be at my han;
But wae is me, sae may I say,
Brown Adam tarries lang!'
36 He hit the door then wi his foot,
Made a' the bands to flee:
'Cheer up your heart, my luve Janet,
Your love's nae far frae thee.'
37 Then he drew out a trusty brand,
And chassd him thro the ha;
The knight jumpd to a shott-window,
And woud hae been awa.
38 'Stay still, stay still,' Brown Adam said,
'Make nae sic haste frae mee'
You or I maun rue the race
That I came ower the lee.'
39 Then frae the knight he's taen a wad,
His mantle and his brand;
Likewise he's taen anither wad,
His sword and his sword-hand.
40 He threw him ower the shott-window,
Bade him lie there wi care,
And never come back to gude green wood
To marr fair ladies mair.
41 'O I am brown,' said Brown Adam,
'And I was never whyte;
But my love has robes o different hues,
To wear at her delyght.
42 'Her kirchies be o cambricks fine,
Wi gowd pinnd to the chin;
Her robes shall be o the scarlet hue
She shall gang daily in.'
End-Notes
A. Anderson cites the first stanza, in exact agreement with the Jamieson Manuscript, except that the third line begins with O.
32. mother (?).
74. Beede (?).
152. long.