This song is similar to Reynard and seems to celebrate the strange custom over here in England of chasing
a fox around the countryside till it's exhausted and then tearing it to bits with dogs. Then if there is someone there who hasn't done it before you smear some of the blood on them. Merv didn't include a Cornish translation with this one so unless someone is desperate I won't either.

TALLY HO HARK AWAY

The Sun has just peeped its head over the hill,
And the ploughboy is whistling so blythe in the field,
The birds are singing so sweet on the sprays,
Says the huntsman to his dogs 'Tally ho! Hark away'.

Tally ho hark away, Tally ho hark away,
Tally ho, Tally ho, Tally ho hark away!

Come now my brave sportsmen and make no delay,
Quickly saddle your horses and let's brush away,
For the fox is in view and he's kindled with scorn,
Come along, my brave sportsmen and join the shrill horn

Tally ho ............

He led us a chase, more than fifty long refiles,
Over hedges, over ditches, over gates and over stiles;
Little David came up with his musical horn,
'We shall soon overtake him, for his tail drags along.'

Tally ho ............

He led us a chase six hours in full cry,
Tally ho! Tally ho! For now he must die,
We'll cut off his brush with a holloaing noise,
And we'll drink good health to the fox hunting boys.

Merv Davey in HENEGAN
Sent to Gardiner in 1905 by a Mr Parsonson who noted the song from William Lugg of Launceston (Gardiner MSS C 10, Vaughan Williams memorial library}. It is not unique to Cornwall and has been noted widely elsewhere eg; Norfolk—Every man's book of English Country Songs, edited by Palmer Adderbury—Forty Long Miles, edited by Foxworthy; Northamptonshire—English Folk Songs edited by Barret; and also collected in the North by Kidson It apparently originated as a broadsheet and was often found in collections of sporting ditties during the first part of this century.
With minor variations the words are always much the same but the tunes do vary substantially. In the case of William Lugg's melody I felt that it differed sufficiently to merit inclusion in this publication.

MIDI file: TALLYHO.MID

Timebase: 480

Tempo: 160 (375000 microsec/crotchet)
Key: F
TimeSig: 4/4 48 8
Name: TALLY HO HARK AWAY
Start
0000 1 65 127 0119 0 65 000 0001 1 67 090 0119 0 67 000 0001 1 69 127 0479 0 69 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 72 120 0479 0 72 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 69 127 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 67 090 0239 0 67 000 0001 1 67 090 0239 0 67 000 0001 1 65 090 0239 0 65 000 0001 1 67 120 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 70 090 0239 0 70 000 0001 1 72 127 0479 0 72 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 74 120 0239 0 74 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 70 090 0239 0 70 000 0001 1 69 127 0479 0 69 000 0001 1 65 090 0239 0 65 000 0001 1 65 090 0239 0 65 000 0001 1 65 120 0479 0 65 000 0000 1 65 090 0119 0 65 000 0001 1 67 090 0119 0 67 000 0001 1 69 127 0479 0 69 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 72 120 0479 0 72 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 69 127 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 67 090 0239 0 67 000 0001 1 67 090 0239 0 67 000 0001 1 65 090 0239 0 65 000 0001 1 67 120 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 70 090 0239 0 70 000 0001 1 72 127 0479 0 72 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 74 120 0239 0 74 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 70 090 0239 0 70 000 0001 1 69 127 0479 0 69 000 0001 1 65 090 0239 0 65 000 0001 1 65 090 0239 0 65 000 0001 1 65 120 0479 0 65 000 0001 1 65 127 0239 0 65 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 67 127 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 60 090 0359 0 60 000 0001 1 60 090 0119 0 60 000 0001 1 60 120 0479 0 60 000 0001 1 67 090 0239 0 67 000 0001 1 62 090 0239 0 62 000 0001 1 69 127 0479 0 69 000 0001 1 65 090 0359 0 65 000 0001 1 65 090 0119 0 65 000 0001 1 65 120 0479 0 65 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 70 090 0239 0 70 000 0001 1 72 127 0479 0 72 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 74 120 0239 0 74 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 70 090 0239 0 70 000 0001 1 69 127 0479 0 69 000 0001 1 65 090 0359 0 65 000 0001 1 65 090 0119 0 65 000 0001 1 62 120 0479 0 62 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X: 1
T:TALLY HO HARK AWAY
M:4/4
L:1/4
Q:50
K:F
F/4G/4|AA/A/cc/A/|A/G/ G/F/ G A/B/|cc/c/ d/c/ c/B/|AF/F/F:||!
F/A/|GC3/4C/4 C G/D/|AF3/4F/4FA/B/|cc/c/ d/c/ c/B/|A F3/4F/4 D||

% Output from ABC2Win Version 2.1 f on 12/04/98
Regards Baz