The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #109707   Message #2304890
Posted By: Jack Campin
02-Apr-08 - 05:29 PM
Thread Name: Sad traditional songs?
Subject: RE: Sad traditional songs?
X:9
T:Frenet Ha'
C:Bauldie Scrimezour
M:3/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=60 "Slow & Moving"
K:GMin
(D^F)|G2 G2 A c| d4      (d/=e/f)|(dc) (BA) G c|({B}A4)
(G^F)|G2 (GA) B> c| d4      (d/=e/f)|(dc) (BA) G ^F|    G4||
(d>f)|g2 g2 a> g|(f>d) d2 (d/=e/f)|(dc) (BA) G> c|({B}A4)
(G^F)|G2 (GA) B> c| d2   d2 (d/=e/f)|(dc) (BA) G ^F|    G4|]

Quhair wile I lay my hede,
Quhair lay my bodie doune,
Qhairfor na am I died,
Sen' wandrin' I bene bown;
O! Marie ze war fairer
than ony goud or gear;
O! bot my hert is sairer
than't has bene mony zeir.

O! blythsom was the wi time,
That I hae spent wi thee,
Aft kiss't that cheik o' thyne,
As ze sat on my knee.
But cauld's thy bodie now Marie,
O! dull thy blinkin' E'e,
Quhairfor do I here tarry,
An' canna win to thee.

He sat doune on a stane,
His hame was far awa;
He sicht an' made a mane,
An sicht O! Frenet Ha'.
Syne drew his schairp Sword frae its shethe,
It gleitert wi' the Sun,
An ay he cry'd dear Mary,
My Love to thee I come.

(2 more verses added by editor).

[From:
A Collection of Twenty-Four Scots Songs (chiefly Pastoral) set for
the Voice, Piano-Forte, Ger: Flute, Clarinet, Guitar or Harpsichord
Written, Adapted, and Humbly Inscribed, to Mrs. Lieut. Col. Hay by
John Hamilton
Edinburgh, printed and Sold by the Author, at
Mr Watlen's Music Shop, No34, North Bridge Sreet
NLS Glen.311
1796]

Seventeenth century Scots with added misspellings. Hamilton's notes say the singer could only remember the first two-and-a-half verses, the editor made the rest up (it's pointlessly melodramatic and nowhere near as good). I'd suggest just doing the first two. The song seems not to have been taken up in later generations, but the tune has survived under several different names to the present day.