The Six Questions- Sung by O. F. A. Conner; Barry MSS., I, vn. E; also transcribed in IV, No. 123.
[No date or place given but it must have been in the early 1900s to no later than 1934 since it was collected by Phillips Barry. Edmunds (1985- English Riddle Ballads) gives a date of c.1904 so I'll go with that. Certainly it was collected in New England but no location was given. It would seem to me that Barry would have published this since he has text and tune.
R. Matteson 2011, 2014]
The Six Questions- Conner c. 1924
When you go down through yonder town,
Sing ivy leaf, sweet William and thyme,
Give my respects to that young maid,
And she shall be a true lover of mine.
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt
Sing ivy leaf…
Without any seam or needlework
And she shall be…
Tell her to wash it in yonder dry well
Where never spring water nor rain ever fell
Tell her to dry it on yonder thorn
That never bore blossom since Adam was born
Now he has asked of me questions three,
Sing ivy leaf, sweet William, and thyme.
I hope he will answer as many for me.
And he shall be a true lover of mine.
Tell him to find me an acre of land
Sing ivy leaf…
Betwixt the salt water and the sea sand
And he shall be…
Tell him to plough it with a cuckold's horn
And sow it all over with one peppercorn
Tell him to reap it with a sickle of leather
And bind it all up with a peacock's feather
When he has done and finished his work
O, tell him to come for his cambric shirt
Sing ivy leaf, sweet William and thyme…
etc…
The Six Questions
X:25
T:The Six Questions
T:The Elfin Knight
B:Bronson
C:Trad
O:Barry MSS., I, vn. E; also transcribed in IV, No. 123.
O:Sung by O. F. A. Conner.
H:The original notation as sent by the singer is musically
illiterate. The timing here is highly conjectural.
N:Child 2
G:B
M:6/8
K:Dm % Hexatonic ( -6) Dorian/Aeolian
ID2 | GGG GG A | IF2 E D3 |
w:I want you to make me a cam-bric Shirt,
d2 e If2 d | dcA c2 Ic | If2 d/d/ dcA/A/ |
w:Eve-ry Rose grows mer-ry in time, With-out an-y seam or any
GFG IF2 G | AAA cIA>G | F<D D D2 |]
w:need-*le work, And then you can be a true lov-er of mine.
% Bar 2 variation | GGG G2 A |
W:
W:I want you to make me a cambric Shirt
W:Every Rose grows merry in time
W:Without any seam or any needle work
W:And then you can be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:I want you to wash it in yonder well,
W:Where there never was water nor never none fell.
W:
W:I want you to dry it on yonder thorn
W:Where there never was a thorn since Adam was born.
W:
W:Questions you have asked me three
W:I hope you can answer as many for me.
W:
W:I want you to plough me an acre of land
W:Between the salt water and the sea sand.
W:
W:I want you to plough it with a ram's horn
W:And sow it all over with one grain of corn.
W:
W:I want you to reap it with a Pea Fowel's (sic) feather
W:And thrash it all out with the sting of an arrow.
W:
W:And when you are done and completed your work
W:Then come to me and you shall have your shirt.