the twa corbies ~ Page 1 of 3 WWW,TWOC ROW S, CO. U K David Watson Hood, visual artist Home Xntroduction Galleries Writing Links Artist s Statement Contact Other ballads etc. Kynd Kittock Childe Roland The Twa Corbies As I was walking all alane, I heard twa corbies makin a mane; The tane unto the ither say, "What sail we gang and dine the-day?" "In ahi.nt yon auld fail dyke, I wot there lies a new slain knight; And nane do ken that he lies there, But his hawk, his hound an his lady fair." "His hound is tae the huntin gane, His hawk tae fetch the wild-fowl hame, His lady s rain anither mate, So we may mak oor dinner swate." "Ye il sit on his white hause-bane, And I ll pike oot his bonny blue een; Wi ae lock o his gowden hair We ll theek oor nest whan it grows bare." "Mony a one for him makes mane, But nane sail ken whar he is gane; Oer his white banes, whan they are bare, The wind sail blaw for evermair." the twa corbies For those of you without a knowledge of archaic Scots a translati into standard English, The Two Crows As I was walking all alone, I heard two crows (or ravens) making a moan; One said to the other, "Where shall we go and dine today?" "In behind that old turf wall, I sense there lies a newly slain knight; And nobody knows that he lies there, But his hawk, his hound and his lady fair." "His hound is to the hunting gone, His hawk to fetch the wild-fowl home, His lady s has taken another mate, So we may make our dinner sweet." "You will sit on his white neck-bone, And I ll peck out his pretty blue eyes; With one lock of his golden hair We ll thatch our nest when it grows bare." "Many a one for him is moaning, But nobody will know where he is gone; Over his white bones, when they are bare, The wind will blow for evermore." http://www.twocrows.co.uk/twa_corbies.html
the twa corbies Page 3 of 3 Crows, sltnli ink painting, http ://www.twocrows.co.uk/twa_corbies.html 10/1/2013
The Ballad of Sir Patrick S, pens Page 1 of 4 The Ballad of Sir Patrick Spens In the reign of Alexander III of Scotland, his daughter Margaret was escorted by a large party of nobles to Norway for her marriage to King Eric; on the return journey many of them were drowned Twenty years later, after Alexander s death, his grand-daughter Margaret, the Maid of Norway, was heiress to the Scottish throne, and on the voyage to Scotland she died The ballad," which exists in several versions, combines these two incidents. Sir Patrick Spens The King sits in Dunfermline town, Drinking the blood-red wine; "O where shall I get a skeely skipper To sail this ship or mine?" Then up and spoke an eldern knight, Sat at the King s right knee: "Sir Patrick Spens is the best sailor That ever sailed the sea." The King has written a broad letter, And sealed it with his hand, And sent it to Sir Patrick Spens, Was walking on the strand. "To Noroway, to Noroway, To Noroway o er the foam; The King s daughter of Noroway, Tis thou must fetch her home." The first line that Sir Patrick read, A loud laugh laughed he; The next line that Sir Patrick read, The tear blinded his ee. http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/poetry/poems/the_ballad of sir~atrick_spens.html 10/1/2013
The Ballad of Sir Patrick S, pens Page 2 of 4 "O who is this has done this deed, Has told the King of met To send us out at this time of the year, To sail upon the sea? "Be it wind, be it wet, be it hail, be it sleet, Our ship must sail the foam; The king s daughter of Noroway, Tis we must fetch her home." They hoisted their sails on Monenday morn, With all the speed they may; And they have landed in Noroway Upon a Wodensday They had not been a week, a week, In Noroway but twae, When that the lords of Noroway Began aloud to say, - "Ye Scottlshmen spend all our King s gowd, And all our Queenls fee." "Ye lie, ye lie, ye liars loud! So loud I hear ye lie. "For I brought as much of the white monle As gane my men and me, And a half-fou of the good red gowd Out o er the sea with me. "Make ready, make ready, my merry men all, Our good ship sails the morn." "Now, ever alack, my master dear I fear a deadly storm. "I saw the new moon late yestreen With the old moon in her arm; And if we go to sea, master, I fear we ll come to harm." They had not sailed a league, a league, A league but barely three, When the lift grew dark, and the wind blew loud, And gurly grew the sea. The ankers brake and the top-masts lap, It was such a deadly storm; And the waves came o er the broken ship Till all her sides were torn. http~//~vww.tne~en.c~m/cybereng/p~etry/p~ems/the-ba~ad-~f-sir~atrick-spens.html 10/t/2013
The Ballad of Sir Patrick S, pens Page 3 of 4 "O where will I get a good sailor Will take my helm in hand, Till I get up to the tall top-mast To see ifl can spy land?" "O here am I~ a sailor good, Will take the helm in hand, Till you go up to the tall top-mast, But I fear you ll ne er spy land." He had not gone a step, a step, A step but barely ane, When a bolt flew out of the good ship s side, And the salt sea came in. "Go fetch a web of the silken cloth, Another of the twine, And wap them into our good ship s side, And let not the sea come in." They fetched a web of the silken cloth, Another of the twine, And they wapp d them into the good ship s side, But still the sea came in. O loth, both, were our good Scots lords To wet their cork-heel d shoon, But long ere all the play was play d They wet their hats aboon. And many was the feather-bed That fluttered on the foam; And many was the good lord s son That never more came home. The ladies wrang their fingers white, The maidens tore their heair, All for the sake of their true loves, For them they ll see nae malt. O lang, lang may the maidens sit With their gold combs in their hair, All waiting for their own dear loves, For them they ll see nae mair. O forty miles of Aberdeen, Tis fifty fathoms deep; And there lies good Sir Patrick Spens, With the Scots lords at his feet. http~//www.tne~~en.c~m/cybereng/p~etry/p~ems/the~ba~~ad-~f-sir-patrick-spens.htm~ 10/1/2013
The Ballad of Barbara All~n Page 1 of 2 The Ballad of Barbara Allen Prepared by Avi Tsur Most of the ballads have as their subject a tragic incident, often a murder or an accidental death, generally with supernatural elements. One of the interesting characteristics of these ballads is that their telling and retelling has caused details to be changed. For instance: in Barbara Allen" the hero s name has become Sir James of the Grave, John Green and Jemmy Grove. There are at least 92 versions of the tragic love ballad "Barbara Allen." The one presented here is one of the oldest and so it may be as near to the original Scottish story as any that can be found. Bonny Barbara Allen tt wa~s in and about the Martinmas time, When the green leaves were a-falling, That Sir John Graeme, in the West country, Fell in love with Barbara Allen. He sent his men down through the town To the place where she was dwelling: "O haste and come to my master dear, Gin ye be Barbara Allen." O hool_y, hooly rose she up, To the place where he was lying, And when she drew the curtain by "Young man, I think you re dying." "O it s I m sick, and very, very sick, And it s a for Barbara Allen;" "O the better for me you shall never be, Though your heart s blood were a spilling." "O dinna ve mind, young man," she said, "When the red wine ye were filling, That ye made the healths ~ round and round, And ~hted Barbara Allen?" He turned his face unto the wall, And death was with him dealing; "Adieu, adieu, my dear friends all, And be kind to Barbara Allen." November 11 living hurry up if you are slowly all don t you remember drank some toasts; go upset doing business goodbye http://www.etni.org.il/music/barb~xaallen.htm 10/1/2013
The Ballad of Barbara Allen Page 2 of 2 The Ballad of Barbara Allen Was in the merry month of May When green buds all were swelling, Sweet William on his death bed lay For love of Barbara Allen. He sent his servant to the town To the place where she was dwelling, Said you must come, to my master dear If your name be Barbara Allen. So slowly, slowly she got up And slowly she drew nigh him, And the only words to him did say Young man I think you re dying. He turned his face unto the wall When we were in the tavern, Good-bye, good-bye, to my friends all Be good to Barbara Allen. When he was dead and laid in grave She heard the death bells melling And every stroke to her did say Hard hearted Barbara Allen. Oh mother, oh mother go dig my grave Make it both long and narrow, Sweet William died of love for me And I will die of sorrow. And father, oh father, go dig my grave Make it both tong and narrow, Sweet William died on yesterday And I will die tomorrow. Barbara Allen was buried in the old churchyard Sweet William was buried beside her, Out of sweet William s heart, there grew a rose From Barbara s a green briar. They grew and grew in the old churchyard Till they could grow no higher At the end they formed, a true lover s knot And the rose grew round the briar. Sung by Joan Baez All in the merry month of May When green buds all were swelling, Sweet William on his death bed lay For love of Barbara Allen. He sent his servant to the town A place where she did dwell in, Said master dear, has sent me here If your name be Barbara Allen. Then slowly, slowly she got up And slowly she went to him, And all she said, when there she came Young man I think you re dying. Don t you remember the other night And death was in him welling, You drank a toast to the ladies there And slighted Barbara Allen. He turned his face unto the wall He turned his back upon her, Adieu, adieu, to all my friends And be kind, be kind, to Barbara Allen. As she was wandering by the fields She heard the death bells melling And every note did seem to say Hard hearted Barbara Allen. The more it tolled the more she grieved She bursted out a crying, Oh pick me up and carry me home I feel that I am dying. They buried Willy in the old churchyard And Barbara in the new one, And from Willy s grave, there grew a rose Out of Barbara Allen s a briar. They grew and grew in the old churchyard Till they could grow no higher And there they tied in a true lover s knot The red rose and the briar. Sung by Garfunke! ETNI s Music How to.ideas Material Links _Events http://www.etni.org.il/music/barbaraallen.htm 10/1/2013