Lyr Req: Mary Blaize (Goldsmith, set by K. Rusby)

Subject: Elegy on the Glory of her Sex (Oliver Goldsmith)
From: keberoxu
Date: 19 Jul 17 - 01:54 PM

Have not heard Kate Rusby's setting of this satirical Elegy.
Here's the poetry itself.

An Elegy on the Glory of her Sex.
Mrs. Mary Blaize.

Good people all, with one accord,
Lament for madam Blaize,
Who never wanted a good word, . . .
From those who spoke her praise.

The needy seldom pass'd her door,
And always found her kind;
She freely lent to all the poor . . .
Who left a pledge behind.

She strove the neighbourhood to please,
With manners wond'rous winning;
And never follow'd wicked ways, . . .
Unless, when she was sinning.

At church, in silks and satins new,
With hoops of monstrous size,
She never slumber'd in her pew, . . .
But when she shut her eyes.

Her love was sought, I do aver,
By twenty beaux and more;
The king himself has followed her. . .
When she has walk'd before.

But now her wealth and finery fled,
Her hangers-on cut short all;
Her doctors found, when she was dead, . . .
Her last disorder mortal.

Let us lament, in sorrow sore,
For Kent Street well may say,
That had she liv'd a twelve-month more, . . .
She had not dy'd today.

by Oliver Goldsmith,
from his Poetical Works

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Blaize: Goldsmith, set by Rusby
From: Reinhard
Date: 19 Jul 17 - 02:50 PM

Kate Rusby sang this poem as "Mary Blaize" on her 2005 CD "The Girl Who Couldn't Fly". The credits shown were "words trad., music Kate Kusby". What she sang was very near to Goldsmith's poem; she repeated the first verse before singing the last.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Blaize: Goldsmith, set by Rusby
From: keberoxu
Date: 20 Jul 17 - 11:16 AM

Also set to music, by one Karl Eberwein,
is a German translation of Goldsmith.
"Frau Therese" is substituted for "Madam Blaize,"
otherwise the translation is faithful.

Elegie auf die Krone ihres Geschlechts, die Frau Therese.
Von Goldsmith.

Weh' uns! auf sie im Paradies,
Die wackre Frau Therese.
So lang sie ihre Nächsten pries,
Sprach sie von Niemand böse.

Die Noth verfehlte nie ihr Haus,
Denn Niemand half behender.
Sie lieh ihr Geld den Armen aus,
Versteht sich -- gegen Pfänder.

So liebte sie die Nachbarschaft,
Als wie die beste Pfründe.
Nie zeigte sie sich lasterhaft,   
Es sei den -- in der Sünde.

In ihrem Feiertagsgewand
Von Seidenzeug und Spitzen,
Entschlief sie nie im Kirchenstand,
Es wäre denn -- im Sitzen.

Bei Männern war sie zärtlichswach,
Und immer wohlgelitten.
Der König selber ging ihr nach,
Kam sie -- voraus geschritten.

Doch bald war jeder Reitz verblüht,
Die Wange nicht mehr röthlich.
Der Doktor fand, als sie verschied,
Die letzte Krankheit -- tödtlich.

Drum lasst das ganze Männerheer
Mit einem Flor umgeben.
Wenn sie nicht schon gestorben wär' ,
Sie wär' noch jetzt am Leben.

translated by Johann Baptist Rupprecht, published 1812, in Dichtungen der Britten in metrischen Übersetzungen, erster Band, erste Abtheilung, pages 123 - 124.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Blaize: Goldsmith, set by Rusby
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Jul 17 - 02:48 PM

There are a couple of videos on YouTube of Kate Rusby singing "Mary Blaize" in concert: one in Harrogate (which has better acoustics) and one in Brighton.

She seems to sing a few lines differently from the lyrics given above, but they are not easy to understand.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Blaize: Goldsmith, set by Rusby
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Jul 17 - 03:03 PM

The Tom Collins Band also sings LAMENT FOR MARY BLAIZE on their album "Dublin Was Your Home" (2008) which I was able to hear on Spotify. I believe the lyrics are the same as those sung by Kate Rusby, and I was able to decipher the following:

Her love was sought, I do declare,
By twenty beaux and more;
The king himself did seem to care
Where she had walk'd before.

But wealth and finery all fled,
And hangers-on all gone;
Her doctors found, when she was dead,
The life within her gone.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Blaize: Goldsmith, set by Rusby
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 21 Jul 17 - 03:16 PM

Thank you, Jim Dixon. Interesting.