Steeleye Span
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The Blacksmith
"A blacksmith courted me, nine months and better
He fairly
won my heart; he wrote me a letter
With his hammer in his hand, he looked so
clever,
And if I were with my love, I would live forever.
"O, where is my love gone, with his cheeks like roses?
He
is gone across the sea, gathering primroses
I'm afraid the shining sun might
burn and scorch his beauty,
And if I were with my love, I would do my duty.
"Strange news is a-come to town, strange news is a-carried,
Strange news flies up and down that my love is a-married
O, I wish them both
much joy, though they don't hear me
And if I were with my love, I would do my
duty.
"O, what did you promise me when you lay beside me?
You
said you'd marry me, and not deny me."
"If I said I'd marry you, 'twas only
to try you,
So bring your witness, love, and I'll not deny you."
"O, witness have I none save God Almighty
And may He reward
you well for the slighting of me."
Her lips grew pale and wan; it made her
poor heart tremble
For to think she had loved one, and he proved deceitful.
A blacksmith courted me, nine months and better
He fairly
won my heart; he wrote me a letter
With his hammer in his hand, he looked so
clever,
And if I were with my love, I would live forever.
Gaudete
Gaudete, gaudete
Christus est natus
Ex Maria Virgine
Gaudete
Tempus adest gratiae
Hoc quod optabamus
Carmina
laetitiae
Devote reddamus
Deus homo factus est
Natura mirante
Mundus renovatus est
A Christo regnante
Ezechielis porta
Clausa pertransitur
Unde Lux est orta
Salus invenitur
Ergo nostra contio
Psallat iam in lustro
Benedicat
Domino
Salus Regi nostro
Royal Forester
I am a forester of this land
As you may plainly see,
It's the mantle of your maidenhead
That I would have from thee.
He's taken her by the milk-white hand,
And by the leylan
sleeve,
He's lain her down upon her back
And asked no man's leave.
Now since you've lain me down young man
You must take me up
again,
And since you've had your will of me,
Come tell to me your name.
Some call me Jim, some call me John,
Begad it's all the
same,
But when I'm in the king's high court
Erwilian is my name.
She being a good scholar
She's spelt it o'er again,
Erwilian, that's a Latin word,
But Willy is your name.
Now when he heard his name pronounced
He mounted his high
horse,
She's belted up her petticoat
And followed with all her force.
He rode and she ran
A long summer day,
Until the came by
the river
That's commonly called the Tay.
The water it's too deep my love,
I'me afraid you cannot
wade,
But afore he's ridden his horse well in
She was on the other side.
She went up to the king's high door
She knocked and she
went in,
Said one of your chancellor's robbed me,
And he's robbed me right
and clean.
Has he robbed you or your mantle,
Has he robbed you of your
ring,
No he's robbed me of my maidenhead
And another I cannot find.
If he be a married man
then hanged he shall be,
And if
he be a single man
He shall marry thee.
This couple they got married,
They live in Huntley town,
She's the Earl of Airlie's daughter
And he's the blacksmith's son.
Spotted Cow
One morning in the month of may
As from my cot I strayed
Just at the dawning of the day
I met with a charming maid
Just at the
dawning of the day
I met with a charming maid
"Good morning to you, wither?" said I
"Good morning to you
now"
The maid replied, "Kind sir" she cried
"I've lost my spotted cow"
The maid replied, "Kind sir" she cried
"I've lost my spotted cow"
"No longer weep no longer mourn
Your cow's not lost my dear
I saw her down in yonder grove
Come love and I'll show you where
I saw her
down in yonder grove
Come love and I'll show you where"
"I must confess you're very kind
I thank you sir" said she
"We will sure her there to find
Come sweetheart go with me
We will be sure
her there to find
Come sweetheart go with me"
And in the grove they spent the day
They thought it passed
too soon
As night they homeward went their way
While brightly shone the
moon
As night they homeward went their way
While brightly shone the moon
If he should cross yon flowery dale
Or go to view the
plough
She comes and calls, "You gentle swain
I've lost my spotted cow"
She comes and calls, "You gentle swain
I've lost my spotted cow"
King Henry
Let never a man a wooing wend
That lacketh things three
A store of gold, an open heart
And full of charity
And this was seen of King Henry
Though he lay quite alone
For he's taken him to a haunted hall
Seven miles from the town
He's chased the deer now him before
And the doe down by the
den
Till the fattest buck in all the flock
King Henry he has slain
His huntsman followed him to the hall
To make them burly
cheer
When loud the wind was heard to sound
And an earthquake rocked the
floor
And darkness covered all the hall
Where they sat at their
meat
The gray dogs, yowling, left their food
And crept to Henry's feet
And louder howled the rising wind
And burst the fastened
door
And in there came a grisly ghost
Stamping on the floor
Her head hit the roof-tree of the house
Her middle you
could not span
Each frightened huntsman fled the hall
And left the king
alone
Her teeth were like the tether stakes
Her nose like club or
mell
And nothing less she seemed to be
Than a fiend that comes from hell
Some meat, some meet you, King Henry
Some meat you give to
me
Go kill your horse you, King Henry
And bring him here to me
He's gone and slain his berry brown steed
Though it made
his heart full sore
For she's eaten up both skin and bone
Left nothing but
hide and hair
More meat, more meet you, King Henry
More meat you give to
me
Go kill your gray-hounds, King Henry
And bring them here to me
He's gone and slain his good gray-hounds
It made his heart
full sore
She's eaten up both skin and bone
Left nothing but hide and hair
More meat, more meet you, King Henry
More meat you give to
me
Go fell your goss-hawks, King Henry
And bring them here to me
And when he's slain his gay goss-hawks
It made his heart
full sore
She's eaten them up both skin and bone
Left nothing but feathers
bare
Some drink, some drink you, King Henry
Some drink you give
to me
Oh, you sew up your horse's hide
And bring in a drink to me
And he's sewn up the bloody hide
And a pipe of wine put in
And she's drank it up all in one draught
Left never a drop therein
A bed, a bed now, King Henry
A bed you'll make for me
Oh, you must pull the heather green
And make it soft for me
And pulled has he the heather green
And made for her a bed
And taken has he his gay mantle
And o'er it has spread
Take off your clothes now, King Henry
And lie down by my
side
Now swear, now swear you, King Henry
To take me for your bride.
Oh God forbid, says King Henry,
That ever the like betide
That ever a fiend that comes from hell
Should stretch down by my side
When the night was gone and the day was come
And the sun
shone through the hall
The fairest lady that ever was seen
Lay between him
and the wall
I've met with many a gentle knight
That gave me such a fill
But never before with a courteous knight
That gave me all my will
Hard Times Of Old England
Come all brother, tradesmen that travel along
O pray, come
and tell me where the trade is all gone
Long time have I traveled and I
cannot find none
And sing all the hard times of old England
In old England,
very hard times
Provisions you buy at the shop, it is true
But if you've no
money, there's none there for you
So what's a poor man and his family to do?
And sing all the hard times of old England
In old England,
very hard times
You must go to the shop and you'll ask for a job
They'll
answer you there with a shake and a nod
Well, that's enough to make a man
turn out and rob
And sing all the hard times of old England
In old England,
very hard times
You will see the poor tradesmen a-walkin' the street
From
morning to night for employment to seek
And scarce have they got any shoes to
their feet
And sing all the hard times of old England
In old England,
very hard times
Our soldiers and sailors have just come from war
They been
fighting for Queen and country this year
They come home to be starved, better
stay where they were
And sing all the hard times of old England
In old England,
very hard times
And now to conclude and to finish my song
Let us hope that
these hard times, they will not last long
I hope soon to have occasion to
alter my song
And sing all the hard times of old England
In old England,
jolly good times
And it's all the good times of old England
In old
England, jolly good times
And it's all the good times of old England
In old England,
jolly good times
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László Zoltán 2015
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