Old Beggar Man- Bray (NS) 1950 Creighton B
[My title. From Creighton/Senior, Traditional Songs from Nova Scotia, 1950, pp. 11-17; five versions A-E. Text is very similar to A.
R. Matteson 2014]
Hind Horn [B]
B. Old Beggar Man- Sung by Mr. John Bray, Glencoe
1. "Where were you bred and where were you born?"
" In old Scotland I was bred and born
I am going away and leave you, do not mourn
Until the day I may return."
2. "Here is a ring, a token of true love,
A token of true love, be it old or be it new,
And when this ring it is getting pale and worn
You know that I am with some other one."
3. He sailed away, away o'er the sea,
He sailed till he came to some foreign counteree,
He looked to the ring, it was getting pale and worn
And he knew she was with some other one.
4. Back he sailed, away o'er the sea,
He sailed until he came to his own counteree,
The first one he met when he came to the land
Was but a poor old beggar man.
5. "What news? What news, old man?" said he,
"What news have you got good man for me? "
"Bad news, bad news," the beggar man did say,
"Tomorrow is your love's wedding day."
6. "Then take you off your clothes and ring
And I'll give to you my suit and steel,
I'll beg on sea, I'll beg on land,
Drink nothing but the best from a young bride's hand. "
7 He begged till he came to his own true love's door,
He begged from the highest and the lowest of them all;
Until he came to his true love's gate
He stood on the steps as he leaned o'er the rail.
8. Soon this young damsel came tripping down stairs,
Rings on her fingers, gold in her ears,
A glass of wine in her right hand,
She gave it to the old beggar man.
9. Out of the glass he drank of the wine,
Into the glass he dropped a ring,
Saying, "Where did you get it; on sea or on land,
Or did you get it from dead man's hand?"
10. "I did not get that on sea or on land,
or I did not get it from a dead man's hand,
It's a token of true love when we used to court so gay,
Now I'll return it on your wedding day'"
11. Rings from her fingers she did let fall,
Gold from her ears she threw on the floor,
Saying, "Willie I'll be with you for ever ever more
Though we may beg from door to door."
12. Between the kitchen and the hall
Willie let the old beggar man's clothes fall,
He was the finest looking man, so far beyond them all,
The finest looking young man that stood in the hall.
13. Early in the morning, just before the break of day
Those couple they got married, so all the people say,
And now they are living in splendour and grand,
No more is he called the old beggar man.