[My Pretty Polin] Lady Isabel & the Elf-Knight- Sayre (PA) 1933 Bayard; Bronson 107
[My title. From George Korson, "Pennsylvania Songs and Legends," 1949, pp. 30-32. Recorded by Samuel P. Bayard. Polin is possibly a mishearing of "Polly."
R. Matteson 2104]
[My Pretty Polin]- Sung by Mrs. Hannah Sayre, Washington County, Pa., I933. Recorded by Samuel P. Bayard.
He follered me up, he follered me down,
He follered wherever I lay;
I had no wings to fly from him,
Nor no tongue to tell him nay, nay, nay,
Nor no tongue to tell him nay.
Take some of your father's beaten gold
Likewise of your mother's fee,
And send two of the steeds out of your father's stable
Where stands thirty and three, three, three,
Where stands thirty and three.
She went and she took of her father's gold,
And some of her mother's fee,
And two steeds out of her father's stable
Where there stands thirty and three.
She mounted onto the bony, bony black,
And him on the di-pole[1] gray,
And they rode along through the merry green woods
Till they come to the banks of the sea.
Light down, light down, my pretty Polin,
I've something to say to thee:
Six daughters of the king I've drownded here,
And the seventh you shall be.
Take off, take off, that fine silk gown,
W:And hang it on the tree,
W:For it is too fine and too costly too
W:To rot in the salt water sea.
And turn yourself three times around,
And gaze at the leaves on the tree,
For God never made sich a rascal as you
A naked woman to see.
He turned hisself three times around,
To gaze at the leaves on the tree;
She picked him up so manfully-like,
And plunged him into the sea.
Lie there, lie there, you false-hearted knight,
Lie there in the stead of me-
You've promised to take me to old Scotland,
And there you would marry of me.
She jumped onto the bony, bony black,
And led the di-pole gray,
And she rode till she come to her father's own house,
Three long hours before it was day.
Up bespoke the little parrot,
Where in his cage it lay,
Saying, Where are you going, my pretty Polin?
You're traveling so long before day.
Hold your tongue, my pretty parrot,
Tell none of your tales (lies) on me;
Your cage shall be made of the yellow, beaten gold,
And hung on the green willow tree.
Up bespoke the old man
Where in his room he lay,
Saying, What's the matter, my pretty parrot?
You're pratteling so long before day.
The old cat come to my cage door,
And swore she would worry of me,
And I had to call on my pretty Polin
To drive the bold pussy cat away, -way, -way,
To drive the bold pussy cat away!
_______________________
1. dapple
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ABC notation
X:107
T:Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight
C:Trad
B:Bronson
O:George Korson, "Pennsylvania Songs and Legends~ I949, pp. 30-32. Sung
O:by Mrs. Hannah Sayre, Washington County, Pa., I933. Recorded by Samuel P.
Bayard.
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:Gmix % Hexatonic ( -7) Ionian/Mixolydian (Bronson has M/D)
G | A/A/ B d d | B/B/ A G G |
w:He fol-lered me up, he fol-lered me down, He
A/A/ B d/d/ B | A2 z G | A B d d | B/A/ G c B/B/ |
w:fol-lered wher-ev-er I lay; I had no wings to fly* from him, Nor no
A > A G > E | D E G B/B/ | A > A G E | D2 z |]
w:tongue to tell him nay, nay, nay, Nor no tongue to tell him nay.
W:
W:He follered me up, he follered me down,
W:He follered wherever I lay;
W:I had no wings to fly from him,
W:Nor no tongue to tell him nay, nay, nay,
W:Nor no tongue to tell him nay.
W:
W:Take some of your father's beaten gold
W:Likewise of your mother's fee,
W:And send two of the steeds out of your father's stable
W:Where stands thirty and three, three, three,
W:Where stands thirty and three.
W:
W:She went and she took of her father's gold,
W:And some of her mother's fee,
W:And two steeds out of her father's stable
W:Where there stands thirty and three.
W:
W:She mounted onto the bony, bony black,
W:And him on the di-pole gray,
W:And they rode along through the merry green woods
W:Till they come to the banks of the sea.
W:
W:Light down, light down, my pretty Polin,
W:I've something to say to thee:
W:Six daughters of the king I've drownded here,
W:And the seventh you shall be.
W:
W:Take off, take off, that fine silk gown,
W:And hang it on the tree,
W:For it is too fine and too costly too
W:To rot in the salt water sea.
W:
W:And turn yourself three times around,
W:And gaze at the leaves on the tree,
W:For God never made sich a rascal as you
W:A naked woman to see.
W:
W:He turned hisself three times around,
W:To gaze at the leaves on the tree;
W:She picked him up so manfully-like,
W:And plunged him into the sea.
W:
W:Lie there, lie there, you false-hearted knight,
W:Lie there in the stead of me-
W:You've promised to take me to old Scotland,
W:And there you would marry of me.
W:
W:She jumped onto the bony, bony black,
W:And led the di-pole gray,
W:And she rode till she come to her father's own house,
W:Three long hours before it was day.
W:
W:Up bespoke the little parrot,
W:Where in his cage it lay,
W:Saying, Where are you going, my pretty Polin?
W:You're traveling so long before day.
W:
W:Hold your tongue, my pretty parrot,
W:Tell none of your tales (lies) on me;
W:Your cage shall be made of the yellow, beaten gold,
W:And hung on the green willow tree.
W:
W:Up bespoke the old man
W:Where in his room he lay,
W:Saying, What's the matter, my pretty parrot?
W:You're pratteling so long before day.
W:
W:The old cat come to my cage door,
W:And swore she would worry of me,
W:And I had to call on my pretty Polin
W:To drive the bold pussy cat away, -way, -way,
W:To drive the bold pussy cat away!