Pretty Golden Queen- Barnes (AR) 1961 Wolf A
[From The John Quincy Wolf Folklore Collection. Recorded by John Quincy Wolf, Jr.
R. Matteson 2014]
PRETTY GOLDEN QUEEN
(RISE YE UP; LADY ISABEL; LADY ISABEL AND THE ELF-KNIGHT)
Sung by: Mrs. Nettie Huddleston Barnes
Recorded in Pfeiffer, AR 8/23/61
So rise you up, my pretty golden queen;
I’ve got something tell to you.
It’s six king's daughters that I've drowned in here,
And the seventh you shall be, be, be,
And the seventh you shall be.
Go get half your father’s beaten gold,
Likewise your mother’s fee,
And two of the finest steeds in your father’s stall,
Wherein are thirty and three, three, three,
Wherein are thirty and three.
She got all her father’s beaten gold,
Likewise her mother’s fee,
And two of the finest steeds in the father’s stall,
Wherein there were thirty and three, three, three,
Wherein were thirty and three.
He hopped all on the pony of brown,
And her the dapple gray.
They rode and rode all through the [green] wood,
Just three long hours ‘fore day, day, day,
Just three long hours before day.
They rode and rode ‘til they came by the side of the sea, sea, sea,
‘Til they came by the side of the sea.
“Hop off, hop off now, my pretty golden queen,
Come, go along with me.
I’ll take you down to old Scotland,
And there I’ll marry you, you, you,
And there I’ll marry you.”
She hopped all off that pony of brown,
And he the dapple gray.
(Comment by Mrs. Barnes: “I can’t hardly think what that other . . .”)
“Pull off, pull off those pretty white robes,
All made of silk so fine,
For it is too fine and costly
For the rocks and the salt sea sand, sand, sand,
For the rocks and the salt sea sand.”
“If I have to pull off these here robes,
And lay them on the land,
You may turn your face to the leaves on the trees,
For it never was intended for a false-hearted wretch
For a delicate lady to see, see, see,
For a delicate lady to see.”
He turned himself all around and about,
His face to the leaves on the trees,
So manfully she picked him up,
And tossed him into the sea, sea, sea,
And tossed him into the sea.
“Catch hold, catch hold in the skirts of my coat,
And pull me out of here.
For six king daughters drowned in here,
And the seventh you shall be, be, be,
And the seventh you shall be.”
She hopped all on a pony of brown,
And led the dapple gray.
She rode all through the merry green woods
‘Til she come to the side of the sea, sea, sea,
‘Til she come to the sea.
(Comment by Mrs. Barnes: “No, ‘just three long hours before day.’ I’m out of breath. ‘Just three long hours before day’.”)