Lyr Add: Thomas Rymer

Subject: Lyr Add: THOMAS RYMER
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 07 Sep 00 - 10:06 PM

THOMAS RYMER

True Thomas lay o'er yond grassy bank,
And he beheld a lady gay,
A lady that was brisk and bold,
Come riding o'er the fernie brae.

Her skirt was of the grass-green silk,
Her mantel of the velvet fine,
At ilka tet o'her horse's mane
Hung fifty silver bells and nine.

True Thomas he took off his hat,
And bowed him low down till his knee:
All hail, thou mighty Queen of Heaven!
For your like on earth I never did see."

"O no, O no, True Thomas," she says,
"That name does not belong to me;
I am but the queen of fair Elfland,
And I am come here for to visit thee."

"But ye maun go wi' me now, Thomas,
True Thomas ye maun go wi' me
For ye maun serve me seven years,
Thro weel or wae, as may chance to be."

She turned about her milk-white steed,
And took True Thomas up behind,
And aye whene'er her bridle rang,
The steed flew swifter than the wind.

For forty days and forty nights
He wade thro red blude to the knee,
And he saw neither sun sun nor moon,
But heard the roaring of the sea.

O they rode on, and farther on,
Until they came to a garden green:
"Light down, light down, ye ladie free,
Some of that fruit let me pull to thee."

"O no, O no, True Thomas," she says,
"That fruit maun not be touched by thee,
For a' the plagues that are in hell
Light on the fruit of this countrie.

"But I have a loaf here in my lap,
Likewise a bottle of claret wine,
And now ere we go farther on,
We'll rest a while, and ye may dine."

When he had eaten and drunk his fill,
"Lay down your head upon my knee,"
The lady sayd, "ere we climb yon hill,
And I will show you ferlies three."

"O see not ye yon narrow road,
So thick beset wi' thorns and briers?
That is the path of eighteousness,
Tho after it but few enquires."

"And see not ye yon baid braid road,
That lies across yon lilly leven?
That is the path of wickedness,
Tho some call it the road to heaven."

"And see not ye that bonny road,
Which winds about the fernie brae?
That is the road to fair Elfland,
Whe(re) you and I this night maun gae.

"But Thomas you must hold your tounge,
Whatever you may hear or see,
For gin ae word you should chance to speak,
You will neer get back to your ain countrie."

He has gotten a coat of the even cloth,
And a pair of shoes of the velvet green,
And till seven years were past and gone
True Thomas on earth was never seen.

'The Viking Book Of Folk Ballads of the English-Speaking World'...no date shown,... or it's missing. No tune shown.

Text:Jamieson,II,7, Compared with A.F.Tytler's Brown MS.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Thomas Rymer
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Sep 00 - 11:09 PM

That's Child #37, A text, for which there is no tune. The only text with a tune is Child's C text, which is in DT file TOMRHYM (See also #37 in DT).

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Thomas Rymer
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 12:16 AM

I like the way that the 'C' text tune goes with the 'A' text above. That is how I am playing it...

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Thomas Rymer
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 12:28 AM

I really like it, but what are ferlies?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Thomas Rymer
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 12:49 AM

leenia, the word ferly means, I believe, "something wonderful, a marvel, wonder" or so says the Oxford...
1785-Burns-..."Nae ferly tho' ye do despise the hairum-scairum, ramstam boys." 'No wonder' was its common usage I would surmise.

Subject: Lyr Add: THOMAS THE RHYMER^^^
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 11 Sep 00 - 04:35 AM

THOMAS THE RHYMER

True Thomas lay on Huntlie bank
A fairy he spied with his ee
And there he saw a lady bright
Come riding down by the Eildon Tree

Her skirt was of the grass green silk
Her mantle of the velvet fine
At each tett of her horse's mane
Hung fifty silver bells and nine

True Thomas, he pulled off his cap
And bowed low down to his knee
All hail, thou mighty Queen of Heaven
For thy peer on earth I never did see

Oh no, oh no, Thomas, she said
That name does not belong to me
I am but the Queen of fair Elfland
That am hither come to visit thee

Harp and carp, Thomas, she said
Harp and carp along with me
And if you dare to kiss my lips
Sure of your body I will be

Betide me well, betide me woe
That weird shall never daunton me
Syne he has kissed her rosy lips
All underneath the Eildon Tree

Now, ye maun go with me, she said
True Thomas, ye maun go with me
And ye maun serve me seven years
Though weal and woe, as may chance to be

She mounted on her milk white steed
She's taken True Thomas up behind
And aye whenever her bridle rang
The steed flew swifter than the wind

Oh they rode on, and further on
The steed gaed swifter than the wind
Until they reached a desert wide
And living land was left behind

Light down, light down now, true Thomas
And lean you head upon my knee
Abide and rest a little space
And I will show you ferlies three

Oh, see you not yon narrow road
So thick beset with thorn and briars
That is the path of righteousness
Though after it but few enquire

And see you not that broad, broad road
That lies across that lily leven
That is the path of wickedness
Though some call it the road to Heaven

And see you not that bonnie road
That winds about the fernie brae
That is the road to fair Elfland
Where thou and I this night maun gae

But Thomas, you must hold your tongue
Whatever you may hear or see
For if you speak word in Elfin land
You'll ne'er get back to you ain country

O they rade on, and farther on,
And they waded thro rivers aboon the knee,
And they saw neither sun nor moon,
But they heard the roaring of the sea.

It was mirk mirk night, and there was nae stern light,
And they waded thro red blude to the knee;
For a' the blude that's shed on earth
Rins thro the springs o that countrie.

Then they came on to a garden green
And she pulled an apple frae a tree
Take this for thy wages, True Thomas
It will give the tongue that can never lie

My tongue is my own, True Thomas said
A goodly gift you would give to me
I neither dought to buy or sell
At fair or tryst where I may be

I dought neither speak to prince nor peer
Nor ask of grace from fair lady
Now hold thy peace, the lady said
For as I say, so it must be

He has gotten a coat of the even cloth
And a pair of shoes of velvet green
And till seven years were gone and past
True Thomas on earth was never seen


A shorter version recorded by Steeleye Span on Now We Are Six Child #37, C text.
Collected by Child and Scott
@myth @magic
filename[ TOMRHYM
Tune file : TOMRHYM
^^^