Sir Patrick Spens- Leslie (NB-ABD) c1953 Creighton
[My date. From: Folksong from Southern New Brunswick, Creighton; 1971. Creighton made several recordings of Leslie in 1953. I'm not sure of the date Leslie came to New Brunswick but it was before 1953. Creighton's notes follow.
R. Matteson 2014]
Mrs. Jeannie Leslie was housekeeper at Mount Allison University for many years. She loved her Canadian home but was never happier than when talking about Aberdeenshire where she had been born and bred. At school she had been taught the long ballad of Sir Patrick Spens, not as a song but as a recitation.
In fact she had not known it had ever been sung. Mrs. Leslie recorded it in the speech of Aberdeenshire, and it is the only time I have heard it in the Maritime provinces. Bronson, vol. 2, pp. 29ff., has 12 variants, mostly from Scotland, and all with tunes. His Lanarkshire variant, which has 26 stanzas, is similar to Mrs. Leslie's:
v. 1 in each has the word "skeely." Another unusual word given by Mrs. Leslie,
v. 3, as "grouley" appears in the Lanarkshire version as "gurly." The lines most often quoted are those that predict their fate (v. 12 above):
I saw the new moon late yestreen
Wi'the auld moon in her airm, . . .
In v. 24. "ower" means "over"; it would be half way between Norway and the harbour of Aberdower in Fifeshire where the ship would have landed. In a previous recitation she started v. 7 thus:
Now they had not been in Norawa
A month but barely three,
When a nobleman of Norway got up. . . .
2. Sir Patrick Spens (Child 58) - Recited by Mrs. Jeannie Leslie, Sackville, New Brunswick
The story of Sir Patrick Spens, the skipper who took the daughter of the king of Scotland to marry a crown prince of Norway.
1. The king sits in Dumferline toon
Drinkin' the blood red wine,
"Oh where will I get a skeely skipper
To sail this ship o' mine?"
2. Then up there sprang an eldren knight
What sat at the king's right knee,
"Sir Patrick Spens is the best skipper
That ever sailed the seas."
3. The king has written a braid letter
And sealed it wi' his hand,
And sent it to Sir Patrick Spens
Who was walking in the strand'
4. "Oh wha' is this has done this deed,
Has told the king o' me,
To send us oot at this time o' year
To sail upon the sea?
5. "And to Norawa, to Norawa'
To Norawa ower the foam,
The king's daughter to Norawa
Oh we maun tak'her home'"
(Sir Patrick gathered his men together and they finally set sail')
6. They hoisted sail on Muneday morn
Wi' all the haste they may,
And they hae landed in Norawa
Upon the Wednesday.
7. They had not been in Norawa
A month but nearly twain
When all the lords in Norawa
Began alout to say,
8. "Ye Scottish men spend a' our king's goud
And a' our queen's fee."
9. "Ye lee and ye lee as lood,
Sae lood as I hear ye lee,
For I brought as much of the white money
As gaed my men and me,
And a guid half fu' of the guid red gold
Oot ower the sea wi' me.
10. "Make haste, make haste my merry men all,
For be it wind or wet,
Be it hail or sleet,
Oor guid ship sails the morn."
11. A sailor cam to Sir Patrick Spens,
"Oh ever alack my master dear
I fear a deadly storm.
12. "l saw the new moon late yestreen
Wi' the auld moon in her airm.
And mister, if we gang to sea
I fear we'll come to harm."
13. Well they had not sailed a league,
A league but barely three,
When the light grew dark and the wind blew lood
And grouley grew the sea.
14. The anchors brak and the topmast lapt,
It was sic a deadly storm,
And the waves cam ower that staggering ship
Till all her sides were torn.
15. "Gae fetch a wab o' the silken claith
And anither of the twine.
And wrap them baith aroond that ship's side
And let nae the sea come in."
16. They fetched a wab o'the silken claith
And anither o'the twine.
And they've wrapped them baith aroond that ship's side
But aye the sea come in.
17. "Oh whar will I get a good helmsman
To tak'my helm in hand
Till I gae up to the tall top-mast
To see if I can spy land?"
18. "Oh here am I a guid helmsman
To tak' your helm in hand
Till ye gang up to the tall top-mast,
But I fear ye'll ne'er spy land."
19. Well he hadna gane a step,
A step but barely three
When a bolt flew oot o' the guid ship's side
And the saut sea it cam'in.
20. "Oh tak' her and span her weel
And make her hale and soond,"
But e'er he had the words weel spoke
The bonny ship gave doon.
21. Oh laith laith were oor Scottish lads
To weet their coal-black shoon,
But lang e'er all the play was ower
They weet their hearts aboon.
22. Oh lang lang may the ladies sit
Wi' their gold kaimes in their hair
Awaiting for their aine dear lords,
For them they'll see nae mair.
23. And lang lang will the maidens sit
Wi' their fans into their hands
Awaiting for their aine dear loves
To come sailing to the strand.
24. Half ower, half ower to Aberdower
Full fifty fathoms deep
There lies the guid Sir Patrick Spens
Wi' the Scots lords at his feet.
25. And mony were the feathers gay
That fluttered on the faem,
And mony were the good Scots lords
That never mair cam' hame.