Lyr. Add: The Gaberlunzie Man
(Gaberlunzy, Gaberlunyie-Man)

The pauky auld carle came o'er the lee,
Wi many good eens and days to me,
Saying, 'Goodwife, for your courtesie,
Will ye lodge a silly poor old man?'
The night was cauld, the carle was wat,
And down ayont the ingle he sat
My daughter's shoulders he gan to clap,
And cadgily ranted and sang.

'O wow!' quo he, 'were I as free
As first when I saw this country,
How blyth and merry wad I be!
And I wad never think lang.'
He grew eanty, and she grew fain,
But little did her auld minny ken
What thir slee twa togither were sayn,
When wooing they were sa(e) thrang.

'And O!' quo he, 'ann ye were as black,
As eer the crown of your dady's hat,
'T is I wad lay thee by my back,
And awa' wi me thou shoud gang.'
'And O!' quo she, 'ann I were as white
As eer the snaw lay on the dike,
I'd clead me braw, and lady-like,
And awa with thee I'd gang.'

Between the twa was made a plot;
They raise a wee before the cock,
And wyliely they shot the lock,
And fast to the beat are they gane.
Up the morn the auld wife raise,
And at her leasure pat on her claiths;
Syne to the servants bed she gaes,
To speer for the silly poor man.

She gaed to the bed where the beggar lay,
The strae was cauld, he was away;
She clapt her hands, cry'd, 'Waladay!
For some of oour gear will be gane'.
Some ran to coffers, and some to kists,
But nought was stown that coud be mist;
She danc'd her lane, cry'd, 'Praise be blest,
I have lodged a leal poor man!'

'Since nathing's awa, as we can learn,
The kirn'ss to kirn and milk to earn;
Gae butt the house, lass, and waken my bairn,
And bid her come quickly ben.'
The servant gade where the daughter lay,
The sheets were cauld, she was away
And fast to her goodwife can say,
She's aff with the gaberlunyie-man.

'O fy, gar ride, and fy, gar rin,
And hast ye find these traitors agan
For she's be burnt, and be's he slain,
The wearifu gaberlunyie-man.'
Some rade upon horse, some ran a-fit,
The wife was wood and out o'er wit
She coud na gang, nor yet coud she sit,
But ay she cursd and she baud.

Mean time far hind outoer the lee,
Fou snug in a glen, where nane coud see,
The twa, with kindly sport and glee,
Cut frae a new cheese a whang.
The priving was good, it pleasd them baith,
To loe her for ay he gae her his aith;
Quo she, 'To leave thee, I will be laith,
My winsome gaberlunyie-man.'

'O kend my minny I were wi you,
Illfardly wad she crook her mou;
Sic a poor man she'd never trow,
After the gaberlunyie-man.'
'My dear,' quo he, 'ye'r yet oer young,
And ha na learnd the beggar's tongue,
To follow me frae town to town,
And carry the gaberlunyie on.'

'Wi kauk and keel, I'll win your bread,
And spindles whorles for them wha need,
Whilk is a gentil trade indeed,
To carry the gaberlunyie, O.
I'll bow my leg, and crook my knee,
And draw a black clout oer my eye;
A criple or blind they will cae me,
While we shall be merry and sing.'

From Leslie Nelson-Burns, the Contemplator. Gaberlunyie Man
"Said to have been written by James V of Scotland." Ballads were written of his amorous exploits.
The ballad first appeared, however, in 1724 in Ramsay's Tea Table Miscellany. "Child includes the ballad ... as an appendix to Child Ballad # 279 The Jolly Beggar." The tune is "John Highland Man" (Bodleian Library). There are several versions. "A broadside ballad "The Pollitick Beggar-Man" was entered in the Stationers' Register March 12, 1656...and was probably the basis for this Scottish ballad, according to notes with the song in the Contemplator..

Search turned up a couple of threads on apparently modern gaberlunyie songs but no reference to the song quoted here.
Most of the links to Child ballad # 279, "The Jolly Beggar," are included in thread 54733, Origins, Jolly Beggarman (Irish): Jolly Beggarman (Irish)

It seemed difficult to incorporate this song in a previous thread without causing more confusion, hence the new thread. It does not seem to have been posted nor placed in the DT lyrics.

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Here are the notes from the Traditional Ballad Index.
-Joe Offer-

Gaberlunzie Man, The [Child 279A]

DESCRIPTION: A beggar comes to a lady's door and begs lodging. That night, he lures her daughter away with him. Later he returns to the lady's door and again begs lodging. The lady says she will never lodge a beggar again. He reveals her daughter, rich and happy
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1724 (Tea-Table Miscellany)
KEYWORDS: begging courting escape money elopement mother children disguise
FOUND IN: Britain(England,North),Scotland)) Ireland Canada(Mar) US(NE)
REFERENCES (7 citations):
Child 279 Appendix, "The Gaberlunyie-Man" (sic) (1 text)
Bronson (279 Appendix), "(The Jolly Beggar/The Gaberlunzie Man)" (49 versions)
Percy/Wheatley II, pp. 67-71, "The Gaberlunyie Man" (1 text)
SHenry H810, p. 269, "A Beggarman Cam' ower the Lea" (1 text, 1 tune)
Ord, pp.375-377, "The Beggar Man" (1 text, 1 tune)
MacSeegTrav 19, "The Gaberlunzie Man" (1 text, 1 tune)
BBI, ZN2346, "The silly poor man came over the lee" (?)
RECORDINGS:
John Strachan, "The Beggarman (The Gaberlunzie Man)" (on FSBBAL2)
Maggie & Sarah Chambers, "The Beggarman (The Gaberlunzie Man)" (on FSB5 [as "The Auld Beggarman"], FSBBAL2)
Togo Crawford, "The Beggarman (The Gaberlunzie Man)" (on FSBBAL2)
Ewan MacColl, "The Beggar Man" (ESFB1, ESFB2)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Jolly Beggar" [Child 279]
cf. "The Beggar-Laddie" [Child 280]
cf. "A Great Big Sea Hove in Long Beach" (tune & meter)
Notes: Although this ballad is associated in tradition with James V of Scotland, there is no evidence that he ever sought a woman in this fashion. James V in fact married a noble foreign lady, Mary of Guise-Lorraine.
Wheatley explains "Gaberlunyie" as a compound of "gaber," a wallet, and "lunyie," the loins, i.e. a Gaberlunyie man is one who carries a wallet by his side. The fact that the title vacillates between "Gaberlunyie" and "Gaberlunzie" implies that most singers were less aware of this than the average scholar....
For the relationship between this song and "The Jolly Beggar," see the notes to that song. Due to the degree of cross-fertilization of these ballads, one should be sure to check both songs to find all versions.- RBW
File: C279A

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