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Dives and Lazarus/Lazarus/Divers Never Gave Nothing To The Poor
Traditional Spiritual
ARTIST: John Jacob Niles from the singing of Lottie Higgins; Harlan, KY; 1934.
SHEET MUSIC:
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel;
DATE: 1557 (reference); 1800s Child versions;
RECORDING INFO: Dives and Lazarus [Ch 56]
Rm - When a Man's in Love (He Feels No Cold) ; Star of the County Down
Lomax, J. A. & A. Lomax / American Ballads and Folk Songs, MacMillan, Bk (1934), p583
Higgins, Lottie. Niles, John Jacob / Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles, Bramhall House, Bk (1961), p129/N 24 [1934/06]
Library of Congress AFS L57: Child Ballads Traditional in the United States: Aunt Molly Jackson, Clay County, Kentucky, 1939. Dives and Lazarus.
Kennedy, Robert Emmet. More Mellows 1931 "Divers Never Gave Nothing To The Poor"
OTHER NAMES: "Lazarus" "Lazarus and Dives"
RELATED TO: "Divers Never Gave Nothing To The Poor" "Lazarus"
SOURCES: Robert Emmet Kennedy's 1931 book More Mellows; Jesus's story of the rich man and Lazarus is found in Luke 16:19-31; Francis James Child ''The English and Scottish Popular Ballads'';
NOTES: "Dives and Lazarus," a version of the English ballad "Dives and Lazarus," was collected by John Jacob Niles from the singing of Lottie Higgins; Harlan, KY in 1934.
"Dives and Lazarus" was originally an English ballad (Child ballad 56) and a carol. Francis James Child collected two variants, in ''The English and Scottish Popular Ballads'' (see below). It is based on a parable of Jesus reported only in the Gospel of Luke (16:19-31). As in other popular renderings of the Lazarus and Dives parable, 'Dives'' (Latin for ''rich'' or ''splendid'') was considered as a proper name, and the name even was changed to ''Diverus'' in variant B.
The tune is also used for "The Star of the County Down." Earlier, it had been used as the setting for a much loved nineteenth-century carol, "Come All You Worthy Christian Men," which included a retelling of the story of the beggar Lazarus from Luke 16. So the tune got its usual name, though it is clearly much older. It is the tune of John Barleycorn, a song of great antiquity. (Pollard, Folksong 31)
In the US the song has been collected from both black and white sources. Two African- American versions are in this collection:
Robert Emmet Kennedy version in More Mellows (1931) "Divers Never Gave Nothing To The Poor"
John and Alan Lomax version in American Ballads and Folk Songs (1934 "Dives and Laz'us"
Other versions from the US include "Lazarus" Sharp MSS., 3366/2464. Also in Sharp and Karpeles, I932, II, p. 29(A). Sung by Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Coates, at Flag Pond, Tenn., September 1, 1916. a D/M (nearly pi squared) tune; The ballad book of John Jacob Niles By John Jacob Niles; and Library of Congress AFS L57: Child Ballads Traditional in the United States: Aunt Molly Jackson, Clay County, Kentucky, 1939. Dives and Lazarus.
DIVES AND LAZARUS- Cyberhymnal Words: Traditional English carol, possibly from Herefordshire. Music: Dilwyn, Traditional English melody, arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams, circa 1920.
As it fell out upon one day,
Rich Divès made a feast,
And he invited all his friends,
And gentry of the best.
Then Lazarus laid him down and down
And down at Divès’ door:
“Some meat and drink, brother, Diverus,
Bestow upon the poor.”
“Thou’rt none of my brothers, Lazarus,
That liest begging at my door;
No meat, nor drink will I give thee,
Nor bestow upon the poor.”
Then Lazarus laid him down and down,
All under Divès’ wall:
“Some meat, some drink, brother Diverus,
For hunger starve I shall.”
“Thou’rt none of my brothers, Lazarus,
That liest begging at my gate;
No meat, no drink will I give thee,
For Jesus Christ His sake.”
Then Divès sent out his hungry dogs,
To bite him as he lay;
They hadn’t the power to bite one bite,
But licked his sores away.
Then Divès sent to his merry men,
To worry poor Lazarus away;
They’d not the power to strike one stroke,
But flung their whips away.
As it fell out upon one day,
Poor Lazarus sickened and died;
There came two angels out of heaven,
His soul therein to guide.
“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.”
As it fell out upon one day,
Rich Divès sickened and died;
There came two serpents out of hell,
His soul therein to guide.
“Rise up! rise up! brother Diverus,
And come along with me;
There is a place provided in hell
For wicked men like thee.”
Then Divès looked up with his eyes
And saw poor Lazarus blest;
“Give me one drop of water, brother Lazarus,
To quench my flaming thirst.”
“O, was I now but alive again
The space of one half hour!
O, that I had my peace again
Then the devil should have no power.”
DIVES AND LAZARUS- John Jacob Niles from the singing of Lottie Higgins; Harlan, KY; 1934.
There lived a man in ancient times,
The bible doth inform us,
His sins agin the word of God ,
Were great and they were num'rous,
Were great and they were num'rous.
The rich man fared very well,
And dressed himself in linen,
He lived a life away from God,
And spent his time in sinnin',
And spent his time in sinnin'.
And it fell out upon a day,
Small rain from sky did fall
Rich Dives set a might feast,
Before his neighbors all,
Before his neighbors all.
Poor Lazarus at the rich man's gate,
To raise his hands unable,
He waited in humility,
For crumbs from Dives' table,
For crumbs from Dives' table.
Rich Dives set his hungry dogs,
That they would set upon him,
The dogs in pity licked his sores,
And thus they did befriend him,
And thus they did befriend him.
"Begone, begone," rich Dives cried,
"Thou art no friend no brother,
I will no give thee food nor drink,
In the name of Christ, the Savior,
In the name of Christ, the Savior."
And it fell upon a day,
Poor Lazarus sicked and died,
And from God's heaven angels came,
His soul to heavenward guide,
His soul to heavenward guide.
Rich Dives died upon a day,
But see his dreadful station,
From Heaven Lazarus viewed down,
Saw Dives in damnation,
Saw Dives in damnation.
Rich man Dives cried, "In heaven's name,
Send Lazarus with cold water,
My thirst is great my pain is sore,
With Hell's tormenting tortures,
With Hell's tormenting tortures."
"Oh had I yet and hour again,
On earth among the living,
I'd spend my time in prayer and song,
And help the poor with giving,
And help the poor with giving."
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