MR. JOHN BUNT

I realise that there are two versions of this song on the list already but no tunes so here is the Cornish version complete with tune.

Mister John Bunt jumped into bed,
As oft he'd done before—o;
But one thing he forgot to do,
It was to bar the door—o.

Rey folara ....

'The wind is cold and I am old,
It bloweth across the floor—o;'
Says Mister John Bunt to Mrs John Bunt
'Get out and bar the door—o.'

Rey folara ....

Says Mrs John Bunt to Mister John Bunt,
'A bargain I'll make with you—o;
That the one who speaks the very first word
Shall get out and bar the door—o.'

Rey folara ....

There came three travellers travelling by,
They travelled o'er the moor—o;
But ne'er a house they did light on,
Till they came to John Bunt's door—o.

Rey folara ....

They pulled his old wife out of bed, -
They rolled her on the floor—o;
But never a word did the old soul speak,
For fear of baring the door—o.

Rey folara ....

'You've eaten my victuals you've drunk up my drink,
You've rolled my wife on the floor—o;'
Says Mrs Bunt 'John you spoke the first word
Get up and bar the door—o.'

This song was published in 'Old Cornwall' Vol 4 p 22. It had been sent in by a Mr de Castro Glubb as heard by him fifty years earlier in Liskeard. The idea of the story has had a widespread currency in Europe and turned up in a collection of Breton Folk tales called 'Eur Zac had Marvaillou' (A Sackfull of Stories).
Bronson, 'Traditional tunes of the Child Ballads' Vol IV, lists it under Child no 275 and comments 'It seems odd that this ballad has acquired no traditional currency in England. It has been popular in Scotland and is known in various forms, fabliau or folk tale, in many parts of Europe and the near East. From Scotland it has been brought to the United States .... '

Agas Dyw gans mos hwi
BAZ

JOWAN BUNT

Jowan Bunt a lammas yn gwely,
Kepar del wre kens henna;
Mes un dra ef a ankevys,
-Yth o an darras dhe brenna.

Rey folara, tedy folara, rey folara ledo,
Rey folara, tedy folara, rey folara ledo.

Coth of-vy yeyn an gwyns,
A wheth dres oll an mene'; (meneth)
'meth mestres Bunt dhe Jowan Bunt,
'Ke yn mes an darras dhe brenna.'

Rey folara ....

'meth Jowan Bunt dhe Vestres Bunt,
'Genes y whraf bargenya,
Nep a lavarro an kensa ger
A wra mos an darras dhe brenna.'

Rey folara ....

Y teth try tremenyas drok,
Dres an Hallow ow tremena;
Ha chy y'n bys ny welsons-y,
Bys yn darras ena.

Rey folara ....

Y kemersons y dhewas, y vos ynweth,
Haty goth wrek rak gorfena;
Mes ger-vyth ny leverys-hy,
Rag own an darras dhe brenna.

Rey folara ....

'Why re gafas ow dewas, ow bos ynweth,
Ha'm coth wreth rak gorfena.'
'meth mestres Bunt 'Re gewssys ger,
Ke dhejy an darras dhe brenna!'
.

MIDI file: JBUNT.MID

Timebase: 480

Tempo: 160 (375000 microsec/crotchet)
Key: A
TimeSig: 6/8 36 8
Name: JOWAN BUNT
Start
0000 1 66 127 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 66 090 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 73 120 0479 0 73 000 0001 1 73 090 0239 0 73 000 0001 1 71 127 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 68 090 0239 0 68 000 0001 1 66 090 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 64 120 0479 0 64 000 0001 1 64 090 0239 0 64 000 0001 1 66 127 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 68 090 0239 0 68 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 71 120 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 68 090 0239 0 68 000 0001 1 66 127 0719 0 66 000 0001 1 66 120 0719 0 66 000 0001 1 73 127 0239 0 73 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 73 090 0239 0 73 000 0001 1 71 120 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 68 090 0239 0 68 000 0001 1 66 090 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 64 127 0719 0 64 000 0001 1 64 120 0719 0 64 000 0001 1 66 127 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 68 090 0239 0 68 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 71 120 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 68 090 0239 0 68 000 0001 1 64 127 0719 0 64 000 0001 1 66 120 0719 0 66 000 0001 1 69 127 0479 0 69 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 69 120 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 71 090 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 73 090 0239 0 73 000 0001 1 71 127 0479 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 71 120 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 73 090 0239 0 73 000 0001 1 74 090 0239 0 74 000 0001 1 73 127 0239 0 73 000 0001 1 74 090 0239 0 74 000 0001 1 76 090 0239 0 76 000 0001 1 76 120 0239 0 76 000 0001 1 74 090 0239 0 74 000 0001 1 73 090 0239 0 73 000 0001 1 71 127 0719 0 71 000 0001 1 71 120 0719 0 71 000 0001 1 76 127 0239 0 76 000 0001 1 74 090 0239 0 74 000 0001 1 73 090 0239 0 73 000 0001 1 73 120 0479 0 73 000 0001 1 76 090 0239 0 76 000 0001 1 74 127 0239 0 74 000 0001 1 73 090 0239 0 73 000 0001 1 71 090 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 71 120 0479 0 71 000 0001 1 74 090 0239 0 74 000 0001 1 73 127 0239 0 73 000 0001 1 71 090 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 68 120 0239 0 68 000 0001 1 66 090 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 64 090 0239 0 64 000 0001 1 64 127 0719 0 64 000 0001 1 64 120 0719 0 64 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the January 15 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:JOWAN BUNT
M:6/8
Q:1/4=160
K:A
S: Merve Davey, HENEGAN F2Fc2c|BGFE2E|FGABAG|F3F3|cAcBGF|E3E3|FGABAG|
%Some verses may need a B above middle C crotchet at the end of bar 4
E3F3|A2AABc|B2BBcd|cdeedc|B3B3|edcc2e|dcBB2d|
cBAGFE|E3E3||