New Ballad Texts
by Phillips Barry
The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 24, No. 93 (Jul. - Sep., 1911), pp. 344-3
NEW BALLAD TEXTS
BY PHILLIPS BARRY, A.M.
THE following texts of six old ballads are from my collection, made during the years 1903-11.
I. THE FALSE KNIGHT UPON THE ROAD [1] (Child, 3)
I. "What have you in your bottle, my dear little lad?"
Quo the fol fol Fly on the road,
"I have some milk for myself for to drink!"
Said the child, who was seven years old.[2]
In this text the words " fol fol Fly " are very likely corrupted from "foul, foul Fiend; "that is, the Devil. Fragmentary as it is, the text is interesting as attesting the survival, in America, of a ballad supposed to be long extinct, and, furthermore, as retaining a form of the theme more primitive than that of Motherwell's version.
2. LADY ISABEL AND THE ELF-KNIGHT (Child, 4)
1. So she took some of her father's gold,
And some of her mother's pelf,
And the two best horses in her father's stable.
2. She mounted on a milk-white steed,
And William upon a bay,
And they left her father's palace, hours before it was day.
3. "Dismount, dismount, my bonny Goldin,
Dismount you must for me,
Eleven King's daughters have I drowned here,
And you the twelfth shall be!"
4. "Take off, take off yon broidered gown,
And hang it on yonder pine,
For it is too good and too costly a robe,
For to rot in the salt sea brine!"
5. "Then turn yourself all round about,
To the green leaves on the tree,
For it does not become a seemly man,
A naked woman to see."
6. He turned himself all round about,
To the green leaves on the tree,
She clasped her arms about his waist,
And flung him into the sea.
7. "Some help, some help, my bonny Goldin," -
"No help you will get from me,
You thought to have drowned me here,
Instead it your grave shall be!"
8. She mounted on her milk-white steed,
In her hand she led the bay,
And she arrived at her father's palace,
Three hours before it was day.
9. From the cagement where he lay,
"Oh, where is your lovely William,
Who last night stole you away?"
10. "Oh, hush, oh, hush, my bonny parrot,
Oh, hush you must for me,
To-day you got but one handful of grots,
To-morrow you shall have three!"
11. Then up spake the King,
From his chamber where he lay,
"Oh, what is the matter, my bonny parrot,
That you prattle so long before day?"
12. "The cat, she came to my cagement door,
Thinking to devour me,
So I called out to bonny Goldin,
For to drive the cat away." [3]
3. LORD RANDALL (Child, 12)
1. "What had you for dinner, my handsome fine boy?
What had you for dinner, my heart's loving joy?"
"I had bread, meat and poison, mother make my bed now,
For I'm sick to the heart, and I want to lie down."
2. "What is it you leave to your father, my handsome fine boy?
What is it you leave to your father, my heart's loving joy?"
"My horses and hounds, mother make my bed now,
For I'm sick to the heart, and I want to lie down."
3. "What is it you leave to your brother, my handsome fine boy?
What is it you leave to your brother, my heart's loving joy?"
"My dog and my gun, mother make my bed now,
For I'm sick to the heart, and I want to lie down."
4. "What is it you leave to your sister, my handsome fine boy?
What is it you leave to your sister, my heart's loving joy?"
"My houses and lands, mother make my bed now,
For I'm sick to the heart and I want to lie down."
5. "What is it you leave to your mother, my handsome fine boy?
What is it you leave to your mother, my heart's loving joy?"
"The gates of Heaven open, mother, make my bed now,
For I'm sick to the heart, and I want to lie down."
6. "What is it you leave to your wife, my handsome fine boy?
What is it you leave to your wife, my heart's loving joy?"
"The gates of Hell open, mother make my bed now,
For I'm sick to the heart, and I want to lie down."
7. "Where will you be buried, now, Johnny, my man,
Where will you be buried, my own loving son?"
"Above in the churchyard, mother I'll take a long sleep,
With a stone at my head, and a sod at my feet." [4]
4. THE GYPSY LADDIE (Child, 200)
1. The Gypsy came to the lady's gate,
And 0, but he sang bonnie,
He sang to the maids till their ears did ring,
And charmed the heart of the lady.
2. Then she came tripping down the stairs,
With her maids all before her,
A glass of wine in every hand,
To welcome the Gypsy rover.
3. She gave to him the nutmeg fine,
She gave to him the ginger,
She gave to him a far better thing,
The gold ring off her finger.
4. "Will you go with me, my dear?" he said,
"Will you go with me, my honey?
For by the sword that hangs by my side,
You shall not want for money!"
5. Then when her lord came home at night,
Inquiring for his lady,
One of the maids made this reply,
"She's gone with the Gypsy Davy!"
6. "Come saddle me the brown," he said,
"The black is not so speedy,
I have ridden all day, and I'll ride all night,
Till I find out my lady!"
7. He rode till he came to the wide water,
It was both deep and muddy,
It made the tears trickle down his cheeks,
When he beheld his lady.
8. "C'ould you forsake your house and home,
Could you forsake your baby,
Could you forsake your own wedded lord,
And go with the Gypsy Davy?"
9. "Yes, I'll forsake my house and home,
Yes, I'll forsake my baby,
Yes, I'll forsake my own wedded lord,
And go with the Gypsy Davy."
10. "Last night I lay in a warm feather bed
My true love lay beside me,
To-night I'll lie in the misty mountains,
With the Gypsies all around me!"'
II
(In two copies, referred to as a and 3, from which the following text is made up.) "The Gypsy Laddie," K, Folk-Songs of the North Atlantic States, from M. E. H., St. Mary's, Pa., April 1, 1907.
1. 1. The Gyspy Davie came over the hills,
Came over the eastern valley,
He sang till he made the green woods ring,
And charmed the heart of a lady.
P. 2. The lord, returning home at night,
Inquired for his lady,
The maid to this replied,
"She's gone with the Gypsy Davie."
P. 3. "Go harness me my coal black steed,
The grey is not so speedy,
I rode all day, and I'll ride all night,
Till I overtake my lady.
P. 4. He rode till he came to the muddy water's side,
It looked so dark and dreary,
Till there he espied his bonny, bonny bride,
By the side of the Gypsy Davie.
0. 5. "Would you forsake your home and friends,
Would you forsake your baby,
Would you forsake your own wedded lord,
And go with a Gypsy Davie?"
a. 6. "Yes, I'll forsake my home and friends,
Yes, I'll forsake my baby,
Yes, I'll forsake my own wedded lord,
And go with the Gypsy Davy!"
348 Journal of American Folk-Lore
8. 7. "I never loved you in my life,
I never loved my baby,
I never loved my home and friends,
But I love my Gypsy Davie!"
P. 8. "Last night I slept in a warm, soft bed,
And in my arms, my baby,
To-night I'll lie on the cold, cold ground,
Beside of my Gypsy Davie." x
1 " The Gypsy Laddie," O, Folk-Songs of the North Atlantic States, from M. L. F., Portland, Me., as sung before 187o, in Fort Kent., Me. a = copy written down by me from dictation, Oct. 16, 1907. 16 = MS. of M. L. F., forwarded, 1908 (stanza 6 is
omitted). The variations between the two copies are slight: in a, stanzas 7 and 8 are transposed; the same copy has the refrain,
0 .. i-iddy um iddy Avey
(1-7) And charmed the heart of a Lady,
(8) And I'll go with the Gypsy Davy.
5. THE FARMER'S CURST WIFE (Child, 278)
"The Farmer's Curst Wife," A, Folk-Songs of the North Atlantic States, from J. H. W., Cambridge, Mass., as traditional in the family of a descendant of Roger Williams.
1. There was an old man who lived in the West,
Who had a wife was none of the best.
With a right leg, left leg,
Upper leg, under leg,
Over the hills to Rowley.
[The old man calls for the Devil. He comes, and takes the old woman to hell.]
2. She kicked seven imps into the fire,
She kicked the old Devil three pegs higher.
3. The devils, they all began to cry and squall,
"Take her back, or she'll kill us all!"
[The Devil takes her back, saying, - ]
4. ".
She beat the Devil and conquered hell!"
"The Farmer's Curst Wife," B, Folk-Songs of the North Atlantic States. MS. of H. J. C., Boston, Mass., as recollected by an old soldier, northern part of Penobscot County, Maine. In the MS., stanzas 2 and 3 are written as one stanza. (Sept. 21, 1910.)
1. The old farmer was ploughing his field one day,
Sing twice fallal ding,
Tal-lal-o-day.
2. The old Devil came into his field one day,
Saying, "One of your family I'll carry away."
3. "Is it my eldest son you do crave?
4. " It is not your eldest son I do crave,
But it's your old scolding wife I'll carry away!"
5. He picked her up into his knapsack,
And like a brave soldier went sacking his pack.
6. He carried her till he came to Hell's gate,
Where he laid her down a spell for to wait.
7. She up with her foot and kicked nine in the fire,
8. Then a little imp comes peeping over the wall,
Saying, "Take her back, or she'll destroy us all!"
9. He picked her up into his knapsack,
And like a damned fool went packing her back.
10 . . . . . . .
She's been through Hell, and she's ten times worse!"
307 HUNTINGTON AVENUE,
BOSTON, MASS.
1. Sung before 1870, in Fort Kent, Me., by a French girl who could speak very little English, as learned from an illiterate Irish family.
2 "The False Knight upon the Road," A, Folk-Songs of the North Atlantic States recollected by M. L. F., Portland, Me., Oct. 16, 1907.
3. Lady Isabel and the Elf-Knight," K, Folk-Songs of the North Atlantic States, from M. A. K., Boston, Mass., in whose family (Irish) it has been traditional for generations.
4. "Lord Randall," W, Folk-Songs of the North Atlantic States, from G., Brunswick, Me., native of Ireland. The seventh stanza evidently does not belong to the same version of the ballad as stanzas 1-6.