Edward, Edward- Dalrymple- 1765 (Percy) Child B
[Below is Child's narrative about Version B; Bronson's commentary; Child's text; Percy's text and a Modern English Transliteration by Charise Hastings:
Child says: B, we are informed in the 4th edition of the Reliques, p. 61, was sent Percy by Sir David Dalrymple, Lord Hailes. Motherwell thought there was reason to believe "that his lordship made a few slight verbal improvements on the copy he transmitted, and altered the hero's name to Edward, a name which, by the bye, never occurs in a Scottish ballad, except where allusion is made to an English king." [1] Dalrymple, at least, would not be likely to change a Scotch for an English name. The Bishop might doubtless prefer Edward to Wat, or Jock, or even Davie. But as there is no evidence that any change of name was made, the point need not be discussed. As for other changes, the word "brand," in the first stanza, is possibly more literary than popular; further than this the language is entirely fit. The affectedly antique spelling [2] in Percy's copy has given rise to vague suspicions concerning the authenticity of the ballad, or of the language: but as spelling will not make an old ballad, so it will not unmake one. We have, but do not need, the later traditional copy to prove the other genuine. 'Edward' is not only unimpeachable, but has ever been regarded as one of the noblest and most sterling specimens of the popular ballad.
Motherwell seems to incline to regard 'Edward' rather as a detached portion of a ballad than as complete in itself. "The verses of which it consists," he says, "generally conclude the ballad of 'The Twa Brothers,' and also some versions of 'Lizie Wan:'" Minstrelsy, LXVII, 12. The Finnish parallel which Motherwell refers to, might have convinced him that the ballad is complete as it is; and he knew as well as anybody that one ballad is often appended to another by reciters, to lengthen the story or improve the conclusion. [3] More or less of 'Edward' will be found in four versions of 'The Twa Brothers' and two of 'Lizie Wan,' further on in this volume.
Footnotes:
1. An eager "Englishman" might turn Motherwell's objection to the name into an argument for 'Edward' being an "English" ballad.
2.That is to say, initial quh and z for modern wh and y, for nothing else would have excited attention. Perhaps a transcriber thought he ought to give the language a look at least as old as Gavin Douglas, who spells quhy, dois, ȝour. The quh would serve a purpose, if understood as in dicating that the aspirate was not to be dropped, as it often is in English why. The z is the successor of ȝ, and was meant to be pronounced y, as z is, or was, pronounced in gaberlunzie and other Scottish words. See Dr. J.A.H. Murray's Dialect of the Southern Counties of Scotland, pp. 118, 129. Since quh and z serve rather as rocks of offence than landmarks, I have thought it best to use wh and y.
3.Motherwell also speaks of a ballad of the same nature as quoted in Werner's 'Twenty-Fourth of February.' The stanza cited (in Act I, Scene 1) seems to be Herder's translation of 'Edward' given from memory.
Bronson says: Percy printed the ballad as "from a ms. copy transmitted from Scotland"; and supplemented that information, in his fourth edition, with a further note: This curious Song was transmitted to the Editor by Sir David Dalrymple, Bart. late Ld. Hailes, a Lord of Session"[2] -- the same Lord Hailes that revealed the secret of Lady Wardlaw's composition, "Hardyknute" when the rest of the world believed it to be a genuine old ballad, discovered, in a vault, on scraps of paper "wrapped round the bottom of clues." Lord Hailes had an active interest in old Scdots ballads, and had himself printed such pieces from time to time. He supplied Percy with soem of the finest ballads that adorned his Reliques-- all from manuscripts of unspecified origin, or, at best, deriving from the "memory of a lady since dead." A "lady," be it noted, not a peasant. Lord Hailes was not the man to spend valuable time taking down songs from the mouths of the peasants in order to get the exact words of unvarnished tradition. ["Edward, Edward. A Scottish Ballad and a Footnote," published in the Southern Folklore Quarterly in 1940.]
Version B: Child 13 Edward
B. Percy's Reliques, 1765, i, 53. Communicated by Sir David Dalrymple.
1 'Why dois your brand sae drap wi bluid,
Edward, Edward,
Why dois your brand sae drap wi bluid,
And why sae sad gang yee O?'
'O I hae killed my hauke sae guid,
Mither, mither,
O I hae killed my hauke sae guid,
And I had nae mair bot hee O.'
2 'Your haukis bluid was nevir sae reid,
Edward, Edward,
Your haukis bluid was nevir sae reid,
My deir son I tell thee O.'
'O I hae killed my reid-roan steid,
Mither, mither,
O I hae killed my reid-roan steid,
That erst was sae fair and frie O.'
3 'Your steid was auld, and ye hae gat mair,
Edward, Edward,
Your steid was auld, and ye hae gat mair,
Sum other dule ye drie O.'
'O I hae killed my fadir deir,
Mither, mither,
O I hae killed my fadir deir,
Alas, and wae is mee O!'
4 'And whatten penance wul ye drie, for that,
Edward, Edward?
And whatten penance will ye drie for that?
My deir son, now tell me O.'
'Ile set my feit in yonder boat,
Mither, mither,
Ile set my feit in yonder boat,
And Ile fare ovir the sea O.'
5 'And what wul ye doe wi your towirs and your ha,
Edward, Edward?
And what wul ye doe wi your towirs and your ha,
That were sae fair to see O?'
'Ile let thame stand tul they doun fa,
Mither, mither,
Ile let thame stand tul they doun fa,
For here nevir mair maun I bee O.'
6 'And what wul ye leive to your bairns and your wife,
Edward, Edward?
And what wul ye leive to your bairns and your wife,
Whan ye gang ovir the sea O?'
'The warldis room, late them beg thrae life,
Mither, mither,
The warldis room, late them beg thrae life,
For thame nevir mair wul I see O.'
7 'And what wul ye leive to your ain mither deir,
Edward, Edward?
And what wul ye leive to your ain mither deir?
My deir son, now tell me O.'
'The curse of hell frae me sall ye beir,
Mither, mither,
The curse of hell frae me sall ye beir,
Sic counseils ye gave to me O.'
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EDWARD, EDWARD, A SCOTTISH BALLAD [From Percy's Reliques; Quhy = Why; zour=your]
From a MS. copy transmitted from Scotland.
Quhy dois zour brand sae drop wi' hluid,
Edward, Edward?
Quhy dois zour brand sae drop wi' hluid?
And quhy sae sad gang zee, O?
O, I hae killed my hauke sae guid,
Mither, mither:
O, I hae killed my hauke sae guid:
And I had nae mair hot hee, O.
Your haukis hluid was nevir sae reid,
Edward, Edward.
Zour haukis hluid was nevir sae reid,
My deir sou I tell thee, 0.
0, I hae killed my reid-roan steid,
Mither, mither:
O, I hae killed my reid-roan steid,
That erst was sae fair and free, 0.
Zour steid was auld, and ze hae gat mair,
Edward, Edward:
Zour steid was auld, and ze hae gat mair,
Sum other dule ze drie, O.
O, I hae killed my fadir deir,
Mither, mither:
O, I hae killed my fadir deir,
Alas! and wae is mee, O!
And quhatten penance will ze drie for that,
Edward, Edward?
And quhatten penance will ze drie for that!
My deir son, now tell me, 0.
He set my feit in zonder hoat,
Mither, mither:
lie set my feit in zonder hoat.
And He fare ovir the sea, O.
And quhat wul ze doe wi' zour towirs and zour ha',
Edward, Edward?
And quhat wul ze doe wi' zour towirs and zour ha', 35
That ware sae fair to see, 0?
He let thame stand til they doun fa',
Mither, mither: Ho let thame stand til they doun fa'.
For here nevir mair maun I hee, O. 40
And quhat wul ze leive to zour hairns and zour wife,
Edward, Edward?
And quhat wul ze leive to zour hairns and zour wife,
Quhan ze gang ovir the sea, 0?
The warldis room, let thame beg throw life,
Mither, mither:
The warldis room, let thame beg throw life,
For thame nevir mair wul I see, O.
And quhat wul ze leive to zour ain mither deir,
Edward, Edward?
And quhat wul ze leive to zour ain mither deir?
My deir son, now tell me, 0.
The curse of hell frae me sail ze heir,
Mither, mither:
The curse of hell frae me sall ze heir.
Sic counseils ze gave to me, O.
This curious Song was transmitted to the Editor by Sir David Dalrumple, Bart, late Lord Hailes.
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Edward, Edward- Modern English Transliteration by Charise Hastings
"Why does your sword so drip with blood,
Edward, Edward,
Why does your sword so drip with blood,
And why so sad go you O?"
"O, I have killed my hawk so good,
Mother, mother,
O, I have killed my hawk so good,
And I had no more but he O."
"Your hawk's blood was never so red,
Edward, Edward,
Your hawk's blood was never so red,
My dear son I tell thee O."
"O, I have killed my red-roan steed,
Mother, mother,
O, I have killed my red-roan steed,
That before was so fair and free O."
"Your steed was old, and you have got more,
Edward, Edward,
Your steed was old, and you have got more,
Some other sorrow you bear O."
"O, I have killed my father dear,
Mother, mother,
O,I have killed my father dear,
Alas, and woe is me O!"
"And what penance will you bear, for that,
Edward, Edward,
And what penance will you bear, for that,
My dear son, now tell me O."
"I'll set my feet in yonder boat,
Mother, mother,
I'll set my feet in yonder boat,
And I'll fare over the sea O."
"And what will you do with your towers and your hall,
Edward, Edward,
And what will you do with your towers and your hall,
That were so fair to see O?"
"I'll let them stand 'til they down fall,
Mother, mother,
I'll let them stand 'til they down fall,
For here never more must I be O."
"And what will you leave to your children and your wife,
Edward, Edward,
And what will you leave to your children and your wife,
When you go over the sea O?"
"The world is large, let them beg through life,
Mother, mother,
The world is large, let them beg through life,
For them never more will I see O."
"And what will you leave to your own mother dear,
Edward, Edward,
And what will you leave to your own mother dear,
My dear son, now tell me O."
"The curse of hell from me shall you bear,
Mother, mother,
The curse of hell from me shall you bear,
Such counsels you gave to me O."
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