Ballate popolari inglesi

Hind Horn
http://www.musicaneltubo.it/ascolta.asp?id=djwvENi7AGw

1
Young man fair, young man free,
Where were you born, and in what country?
In Ireland I was bred and born,
Back to Ireland I will return.
2
When they were parting she gave to him,
Her hearts true love and a guinea gold ring[43]
When you look at the ring and its bright and true,
You know your lover is true to you.
3
If the ring be bright and clear,
You know Im constant to my dear,
But if the ring be pale and wan,
Your lovers gone with another man.
4
He took ship and away went he,
Till he come to that strange country
When he looked at the ring, it was pale and wan,
He knows shes gone with another man.
5
So he took ship and back sailed he,
Till he come to his own country;
He was a-riding over the plain,
The first he met was the begging man.
6
What news, what news, what news? cried he,
Sad and sorry Ive to tell to thee;
Sad and sorry Ive to tell to thee,
Today is your true lovers[44] wedding day.
7
Youll lend me your begging rig,
Youll put on my riding stage;
No, the begging rigs too poor for thee,
The riding stage too good for me.
8
Be it right, be it wrong,
The begging rig it will go on.

Now tell me as fast as you can,

What is the work of the begging man?
9
You may walk as fast as you will,
Till you come to yonders hill,
But when you come to yonders[45] gate,
Lean on your staff with a trembling step.
10
Beg from Pitt, beg from Paul[46],
Beg from the highest to the lowest of all,
But from them all you need take none,
Till you come to the brides own hand.
11
He stepped on with a fine good will,
Till he come to yonders hill;
When he came to yonders gate,
Leaned on his staff with a trembling step.
12
The bride come trembling down the stair,
Gold rings on her fingers, gold bobs in her hair;
A glass of wine all in her hand,
All for to give to the begging man.
13
Out of the glass he drank up the wine,
Into the glass goes a guinea gold ring;
Did you get it by sea? Did you get it by land?
Or did you get it from a drowned mans hand?
14
Neither did I get it by sea or land,
Neither did I get it from a drowned mans hand.
I got it from my love in a courting way,
I give it to my love on her wedding day.
15
Gold rings from her fingers she did let fall,
Gold bobs from her hair she threw against the wall,
Ill follow you forever more,
Though Im begging from door to door.
16
He that was the blackest[47] among them all,
Now shines the fairest in the hall.
He that was single at the break of day,
Stole the bride from the groom away.

Hind Horn as performed by Bandoggs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYIFa2ej6fg)

Young Hind Horn to the King is gone,
Hey lililo and a ho lo la,
And hes fell in love with his daughter Jean,

Hey down and a hey diddle downy.

She gave to him a golden ring
With three bright diamonds set therein.
When this ring grows pale and blue
Then my love is lost to you.
Now the king has sent him oer the sea
For seven long years in a far country.
One day hes looked his ring upon,
It grew pale and it grew wan.
So hes left the sea for his own land
And its there that hes met with a beggar man.
What news, what news old man doth befall?
Its none save the wedding in the kings own hall.
Cast off, cast off your beggars weeds
And Ill give you my good grey steed.
Oh its when he came to the kings own gate
Hes sought there a drink for the bridegrooms sake.
And the bride gave him a glass of wine
And when hes drunk hes dropped in the ring.
Oh got ye this by the sea or the land Or took ye this from a dead mans hand?
I got it neither by sea nor land
For you gave it to me with your own hand.
Oh, Ill cast off my gown of red
And along with thee Ill beg my bread.
Oh, you need not leave your bridal gown
For Ill make you the lady of manys the town.
Her own bridegroom had her first wed
But young Hind Horn had her first to bed.
Cruel Sister (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akZO9_cJ82Q)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3S2brPXjEM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBlgCeYExx0

There lived a lady by the North Sea shore

Lay the bent to bonnie broom
Two daughters were the babes she bore
Fa la laie la lie lala
One grew as bright as is the sun
So cold, dark, grew the elder one
A knight came riding to the ladies door
He travelled far to be their wooer
He courted one with gloves and rings
But the other he loved above all things
Oh, sister, sister wont you walk with me
To see the ships sail oer sea

And as they walked the windy shore

The dark girl pushed her sister oer
Sometimes she sank, sometimes she swam
Crying Sister, reach to me your hand
Oh sister, sister please let me live
And all thats mine Ill surely give
Its your own true love I want, and more
That thou shalt never come ashore
And as she floated like a swan
The salt sea bore her body on
Two minstrels walked by the windy strand
They saw her body float to land
They made a harp of her breast bone
Whos sound would melt a heart of stone
They took three strands of her yellow hair
And with them strung this harp so rare
They took this harp to her fathers hall
To play the harp before them all
But when they set the harp upon a stone
It began to play alone
The first string sang a doleful sound
The bride her younger sister drowned
The second string, when this they tried
In terror sits the black haired bride
The third string sang beneath their bow
And surely now her tears will flow
Geordie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LJ7Z7a3UbMAs
I walked out over London bridge
One misty morning early,
I overheard a fair pretty maid
Was lamenting for her Geordie.
Ah, my Geordie will be hanged in a golden chain,
Tis not the chain of many
He was born of kings royal breed
And lost to a virtuous lady.
Go bridle me my milk white steed,
Go bridle me my pony,
I will ride to London court
To plead for the life of Geordie.
Ah, my Geordie never stole nor cow nor calf,
He never hurted any,

Stole sixteen of the kings royal deer,

And he sold them in Bohenny.
Two pretty babies have I born,
The third lies in my body,
Id freely part with them every one
If youd spare the life of Geordie.
The judge looked over his left shoulder,
He said fair maid Im sorry
He said fair maid you must be gone
For I cannot pardon Geordie.
Ah, my Geordie will be hanged in a golden chain,
Tis not the chain of many,
Stole sixteen of the kings royal deer
And he sold them in Bohenny.