Lord Darnel's Wife- Pratt (KY) 1917 Sharp I
[My title and footnotes. From English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians I; Sharp/Karpeles 1932, p. 161-182, versions A-Q. Notes from 1932 edition and notes from Sharp's diary follow.
R. Matteson 2015]
1932 Edition Notes: No. 23. Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard.
Texts without tunes:— Child s English and Scottish Popular Ballads, No. 81. Reed Smith's South Carolina Ballads, p. 125. Cox's Folk Songs of the South, p. 94. Journal of American Folk-Lore, xxiii. 371; xxv. 182.
Texts with tunes:—Rimbault's Musical Illustrations of Percy's Reliques, p. 92. Chappel's Popular Music of the Olden Times, i. 170. MotherwelJ's Minstrelsy,
Appendix, tune No. 21. W. R. Mackenzie's Ballads and Sea Songs of Nova Scotia, No. 8. Wyman and Brockway's Twenty Kentucky Mountain Songs, pp. 22 and 62. Journal of American Folk-Lore, xxx. 309. British Ballads from Maine, p. 150. Davis's Traditional Ballads of Virginia, pp. 289 and 577.
Sharp diary 1917 page 273. Saturday 22 September 1917 - Hindman
Maud and I and Miss Watts — one of the staff who was at Knoxville — go to Mrs Lucindy Pratt and we got some excellent songs. After dinner I rest and then have tea with Miss Watts and Miss Cobb. Begin to write up my books which are sadly behind hand as we have taken down between 50 and 60 songs in the last 2 or 3 days — pretty well a record! My cold is very bad and I am glad there is not much to do to-day. Jason Ritchie was to have come over but they couldn’t get hold of him — also Wylie Parkes. There is a great deal to be done here but I think it better to leave on Monday and come here again next year perhaps. Spend evening in sitting room where one of the children gives me a song. We have supper there — spaghetti etc — and then to bed, five minutes before electric light goes out (9.30).
I. [Lord Darnel's Wife] Sung by Mrs. Doc. PRATT at Hindman, Knott Co., Ky., Sept. 22, 1917
Pentatonic. Mode 3.
1. Holiday, a holiday,
The very first one of the year;
I went down to the old church- yard,
The gospel for to hear, hear,
The gospel for to hear.
2 The first come was young ladies very fair,
. . . .
The next come was Lord Darnel's wife,
The flower amongst the few.
3 After the meeting was over
She cast her eyes around;
Who did she spy but little Matthy Groves
As he passed through the town.
4 Come go home with me, little Matthy Groves,
Come go home with me to-night,
Come go home with me, little Matthy Groves,
And sleep with me till light.
5 I can't go, I can't go,
I can't go for my life,
For I know you are Lord Darnel's wife
By the rings that wear on your fingers.
6 If I am Lord Darnel's wife,
Lord Darnel's not at home;
He has gone down to the high toll-gate
To call his hirelings home.
7 Little foot-page a-standing by
A-hearing what was said,
He swore Lord Darnel should hear
Before the sun did set.
8 And in the hurry to carry the news,
He buckled his shoes and he run.
He run till he came to the river-side,
Being deep and muddy.
In his hurry to carry the news,
He bowed (pronounced 'bode') his breast and swum.
9 He called out on the other side,
A-being wet and muddy.
In a hurry to carry the news,
He buckled his shoes as he run.
10 He run till he came to Lord Darnel's hall,
He jingled so loud at the rung.
No one at all so ready as he was
To rise and let him in.
11 What news, what news, little foot-page?
What news do you bring to me?
Is my castle fell,
Or is my lady dead?
12 Your castle has not fell,
Neither is your lady dead,
But little Matthy Groves sleeps this night
In the arms of your lady gay.
13 If this be a lie, little foot-page,
If this be a lie, said he,
I won't take time to make a gallows,
I'll hang you to a tree.
14 But if this be true, little foot-page,
If this be true, said he,
I'll give you all of the wee gay gold
That your horse can carry away.
15 He called all his men around,
And he counted two by three.
Then he gave command
That ne'er a horn should blow.
16 When they got all on the top of the mountain,
Being one man in the crowd that meaned[1] little Matthy to know,
He put his horn up to his mouth,
And loudly he did blow.
17 Little Matthy he rose up in bed,
Saying: I must go, I must go,
For I hear Lord Darnel blowing.
18 Lie down, lie down, you foolish boy,
Lie down and keep me warm;
It's just my uncle's negroes
Herding my sheep to the barn.
19 Little Matthy he lie down
And took a nap of sleep;
But when he awoke, Lord Darnel's men
Were standing at his feet.
20 Saying: How do you like my feather bed?
And how do you like my sheets?
And how do you like my lady gay
That lies in your arms to sleep?
21 Very well I like your feather bed,
Very well I like your sheets,
Much better I like your lady gay
That lies in my arms to sleep.
22 Get up, little Matthy, and put on your clothes,
Get up, little Matthy, said he,
For it never shall be alleged to me
That I slew a naked man.
23 I can't get up, I can't get up,
I can't get up for my life,
For you have two long bitteren[2] swords,
And me not a pocket-knife.
24 I know I have two long bitteren[2] swords,
And they cost me deep in my purse;
But you may take the very best,
And I will take the worst.
25 You may strike the very first lick,
You must strike it like a man;
I will strike the very next lick;
I'll kill you if I can.
26 Little Matthy struck the very first lick,
He wounded deep and sore.
Lord Darnel struck the very next lick;
Little Matthy struck no more.
27 He took his lady by the hand,
He set her on his knee.
Now, which do you like best,
Little Matthy Groves or me?
I'd rather have a kiss from little Matthy's lips
Than you and all your money.
28 He pulled out his long bitteren[2] sword
And slung it around and around;
And with the edge he chopped off her head
And stove it against the ground.
1. MS has "meant"
2. glittering