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09-25-08, 11:36 AM
I'm currently reading a book entitled "Selections from the early ballad poetry of England and Scotland" and can not begin to end laughing and singing with it.
Just listen! And all are alike.
THE JEW'S DAUGHTER (XIII century)
The rain rins down through Mirry land toune,
Sae does it down the Pa'
Sae does the lads of Mirry land tounde
When they play at the ba.
The out and came the Jew's daughter
Said, Will ye come in and dine?
"I winna come in, I canna come in
Without my play-fere's nine."
She pulled an apple red and white,
To entice the young thing in;
She pulled an apple white and red
And that the sweet bairn did win.
And she has ta'en out a little pen-knife
And low down by her gair [dress],
She has twined [parted] the young thing of his life
A word he never spoke mair.
And out came the thick thick bluid,
And out and came the thin;
And out and came the bonny heart's bluid -
There was nae life left in.
She laid him on a dressing board
And drest him like a swine -
And laughing said, Gae now and play
With your sweet play-feres nine.
She rowed him in a cake of lead,
Bade him lie still and sleep-
She cast him in a deep draw-well
Was fifty fathom deep.
When bells were rung, and masss was sung
And every lady went hame;
Then ilka lady had her young son
But Lady Helen had nane.
She rowed her mantell her about
And sair, sair, 'gan she weep-
And she ran into the Jew's castell,
When they were all asleep.
My bonny Sir Hugh-my pretty Sir Hugh-
I pray thee to me speak-
"Oh lady run to the deep draw well
Gin ye your son wad seek."
Lady Helen ran to the deep draw well,
And knelt upon her kne:
"My bonny Sir Hugh, an ye be here,
I pray thee speak to me."
"The lead is wondorous heavy, mither,
The well is wondorous deep-
A keen penknife sticks in my heart
A word I downa speak.
Gae hame, gae hame, my mither dear,
Fetch me my winding sheet,
And at the back o' Mirry Land toun
It's there we twa shall meet."
Just listen! And all are alike.
THE JEW'S DAUGHTER (XIII century)
The rain rins down through Mirry land toune,
Sae does it down the Pa'
Sae does the lads of Mirry land tounde
When they play at the ba.
The out and came the Jew's daughter
Said, Will ye come in and dine?
"I winna come in, I canna come in
Without my play-fere's nine."
She pulled an apple red and white,
To entice the young thing in;
She pulled an apple white and red
And that the sweet bairn did win.
And she has ta'en out a little pen-knife
And low down by her gair [dress],
She has twined [parted] the young thing of his life
A word he never spoke mair.
And out came the thick thick bluid,
And out and came the thin;
And out and came the bonny heart's bluid -
There was nae life left in.
She laid him on a dressing board
And drest him like a swine -
And laughing said, Gae now and play
With your sweet play-feres nine.
She rowed him in a cake of lead,
Bade him lie still and sleep-
She cast him in a deep draw-well
Was fifty fathom deep.
When bells were rung, and masss was sung
And every lady went hame;
Then ilka lady had her young son
But Lady Helen had nane.
She rowed her mantell her about
And sair, sair, 'gan she weep-
And she ran into the Jew's castell,
When they were all asleep.
My bonny Sir Hugh-my pretty Sir Hugh-
I pray thee to me speak-
"Oh lady run to the deep draw well
Gin ye your son wad seek."
Lady Helen ran to the deep draw well,
And knelt upon her kne:
"My bonny Sir Hugh, an ye be here,
I pray thee speak to me."
"The lead is wondorous heavy, mither,
The well is wondorous deep-
A keen penknife sticks in my heart
A word I downa speak.
Gae hame, gae hame, my mither dear,
Fetch me my winding sheet,
And at the back o' Mirry Land toun
It's there we twa shall meet."