Rosie Ann- Purslow 1972 (From Harrington 1908 collected Gardiner)
Malcolm Douglas: In 1972, Frank Purslow published a version of Rosie Ann, collected by Dr. George Gardiner from Frank Harrington of Bartley, Hampshire, in November 1908. The text was "extremely fragmentary", so he added a good bit of material from the version in Child. Although it is, as a result, largely an English re-write of the version originally published in Motherwell (1827), the ballad is so rare in tradition (disregarding commercial recordings by Revival performers) that it's worth adding here:
ROSIE ANN- From The Constant Lovers, E.F.D.S. Publications Ltd., 1972
Fair Rosie Ann sits at her father's door,
A-weeping and making moan,
When along there came her own father dear,
Saying, "What ails thee, Rosie Ann?"
"A deal, a deal, dear father," she said,
"Good reasons have I to moan,
For there lies a babe between my two sides,
Between me and my brother John."
Fair Rosie Ann sits at her father's door,
A-weeping and making moan,
When along there came her own mother dear,
Saying, "What ails thee, Rosie Ann?"
"A deal, a deal, dear mother," she said,
"Good reasons have I to moan,
For there lies a babe between my two sides,
Between me and my brother John."
Fair Rosie Ann sits at her father's door,
A-weeping and making moan,
When along there came her own sister dear,
Saying, "What ails thee, Rosie Ann?"
"A deal, a deal, dear sister," she said,
"Good reasons have I to moan,
For there lies a babe between my two sides,
Between me and my brother John."
Now her brother was sitting in the very next room,
And heard what she had for to say,
And he's away to his sister Rosie Ann,
As fast as he can hie.
"Oh! you have told father, and you have told mother,
And you have told sister all three."
And he has drawn his good broad sword,
And cut her fair body in three.
"What blood is that upon your sword?
Son John, come tell to me."
"It is my horse's that I did kill,
Dear mother and fair lady."
"Your horse's blood was never so red,
Son John, come tell to me."
"It is my hound's that I did kill,
Dear mother and fair lady."
"Your horse's blood was never so clear,
Son John, come tell to me."
"Oh! I have cutted off fair Rosie Ann's head,
And her fair body in three."
"And what will you do when your father comes home?
Son John, come tell to me."
"I will take my father's best riding horse,
And go as far as I can see."
"What will you do with your bonny young wife?
Son John, come tell to me."
"I'll set her on foot on yonder shipboard,
And hope she will follow me."
"What will you do with your bonny wee son?
Son John, come tell to me."
"I'll leave him with you, my mother dear,
To keep in remembrance of me."
"What will you do with your houses and your land?
Son John, come tell to me."
"I'll sell them all and give you the money,
To keep my young baby."
"When will you return again, my son John?
Son John, come tell to me."
"When the sun and the moon meet in yonder shady bower,
And that will never, never be."