GIPSY FIDDLER
Written by Fred Rooke

"Gipsy fiddler, will you play
For me daughter's wedding day?"
"Aye, Farmer. I will play,
But what shall be me pay?"
"I will give you a good fat lamb,
As an honest man I am, if you will play
If you'll play,
With your fiddle-i-diddle-i-fiddle-i-day,
For me daughter's wedding day."

"Well," the gipsy fiddler spat,
"And what on top of that?"
"Then, gipsy fiddler,
I will give you a fleece-lined hat
On top of a one fat lamb,
As an honest man I am, if you will play,
If you'll play,
With your fiddle-i-diddle-i-fiddle-i-day,
For me daughter's wedding day."

Said the gipsy with a grin,
"And what will you throw in?"
"Some strings, gipsy fiddler,
Of the gut for your violin,
Thrown in with the hat and the lamb,
As an honest man I am, if you will play,
If you'll play,
With your fiddle-i-diddle-i-diddle-i-day,
For me daughter's wedding day."

So the gipsy fiddler played.
With the lamb he was then paid.
"And where is my fleecy hat
And the strings of the gut?" he said.
"Wound into the top of the lamb,
As an honest man I am, now you have played,
Now you've played,
With your fiddle-i-diddle-i-diddle-i-day,
For me daughter's wedding day."

"Now your daughters will be full,
As often as the mule
Or as the heifer,
The sister to the bull.
You have tricked me with that lamb.
As an honest man I am, now I have played,
I have played,
With my fiddle-i-diddle-i-diddle-i-day,
For your daughter's wedding day."

And the gipsy kept away
Till a bitter winter's day
When the lambs were seeking shelter
A-burrowing in the hay.
Here comes the fiddler man.
"As an honest man I am, who once did play,
Once did play,
With my fiddle-i-diddle-i-diddle-i-day,
For your daughter's wedding day—

"Mr Farmer, give me some hay
'Fore me nanny goat wastes away
For want of grass
On this bitter snowy day."
"Take an 'andful big as you can,
As an honest man I am, you once did play,
Once did play,
With your fiddle-i-diddle-i-diddle-i-day,
On me daughter's wedding day."

So the gipsy dug in deep
Where he saw a lamb asleep.
"Stop!" said the farmer.
"You're stealin' of me sheep!
You shall not take that lamb,
As an honest man I am, though you once did play,
Once did play,
With your fiddle-i-diddle-i-diddle-i-day,
For me daughter's wedding day."

"Mr Farmer, but it lay
Included in the hay
Just as the fleecy hat
And the strings in the gut of me pay."
"Then you shall take that lamb,
As an honest man I am, and you shall play,
You shall play,
With your fiddle-i-diddle-i-diddle-i-day,
For me next daughter's wedding day."


Sugwash: this may need corrections, but there's the basics (thanks to Rumanci).