Bluegrass Messengers

Dives and Lazarus- Bud Bush (NH) 1964 M. E. Bush

[From: Folk Songs of Central West Virginia, 2 vols., Ravenswood, W.Va., 1969 and 1970, I , pp.41-44. Michael Bush's notes follow.

This is the Child A text arranged by Bud Bush. Stanza 13 has been rewritten and the penultimate stanza has been omitted. There are some other minor changes.

R. Matteson 2014]

This was sung by Bud Bush of New Hampshire at the 1964 (West Virginia) folk festival.

Dives and Lazarus- Sung by Bud Bush 1964 from text as given in Child A.

1    As it fell out upon a day,
Rich Dives he made a feast,
And he invited all his friends,
And gentry of the best.

2    And[1] Lazarus laid him down and down,
And down at Dives' door:
'Some meat and drink, brother Divorus,
Bestow upon them poor.'

3    'Thou art none of my brother, Lazarus,
That lies beggin' at my door;
No meat nor drink will I give thee,
Nor bestow upon the poor.'

4    And Lazarus laid him down and down,
And down at Dive's wall:
'Some meat and drink, brother Dives,
Or of hunger starve I shall.'

5    'Thou art none of my brother, Lazarus,
That lies begging at my wall;
No meat nor drink will I give thee,
Of  hunger starve you shall.'

6    And Lazarus laid him down and down,
And down at Dive's gate:
'Some meat and drink, brother Divorus,
For Jesus Christ his sake.'

7    'Thou art none of my brother, Lazarus,
That lies beggin' at my gate;
No meat nor drink will I give thee,
For Jesus Christ, his sake.'

8    And Dives sent out his hungry dogs, [2]
To bite him as he lay;
They had the power to bite one bitel,
But licked his sores away.

9      And Dives sent out his merry men,
To worry[3] poor Lazarus away;
They had no power to strike a stroke,
But threw their whips away.

10    As it fell out upon a day,
Poor Lazarus he sickened and died;
There came two angels out of heaven
His soul therein to guide.

11    'Rise up, rise up, brother Lazarus,
And go along with me;
For you've a place prepared in heaven,
To sit on an angel's knee.'

12    And it fell out upon a day,
Rich Dives he sickened and died;
There came two serpents out of hell,
His soul therein to guide.

13    'Rise up, rise up, brother Divorus,[4]
And go along with me,
For you've a place, prepared in Hell,
To sit upon a serpent's knee.'

14    Rich Divorus he looked up,
And saw poor Lazarus blessed:
'O give me one drop of water,
To slack my flaming thirst.

15    'Would that I were alive again,
The space of one half hour.
Had I but that little time
Then the devil should have no power.'

1. Then (Bush uses "And" throughout). It seems to me that m. E. Bush has transcribed this from a recording and therefore may not have heard it correctly.
2. Stanza 8 and 9 have been reversed from Child A
3. whip
4. This stanza has been rewritten and the penultimate stanza has been omitted.