Lyr/Tune Add: My Love's an Arbutus (A P Graves)

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: MY LOVE'S AN ARBUTUS (Alfred Graves)
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 15 Feb 98 - 07:07 PM

MY LOVE'S AN ARBUTUS
Words: Alfred Perceval Graves
Music: "Old Irish Tune", according to the source.

For lovers of trivia, the lyricist was the father of Robert Graves, poet, critic, and author of such landmark volumes as I, Claudius and The White Goddess (neither of which I've read).

I'm curious about whether traditional (or any other) words to this tune are known. If not, I may come up with a modest example, since I'm not thrilled with Graves's words, which follow:

My love's an arbutus by the borders of Lene,
So slender and shapely in her girdle of green
And I measure the pleasure of her eye's sapphire sheen
By the blue skies that sparkle thro' the soft branching screen.

But tho' ruddy the berry and snowy the flow'r,
That brighten together the arbutus bow'r,
Perfuming and blooming through sunshine and show'r,
Give me her bright lips and her laugh's pearly dow'r.

Alas, fruit and blossom shall be dead on the lea,
And Time's jealous fingers dim your young charms, Machree
But unranging, unchanging you'll still cling to me
Like the evergeen leaf to the arbutus tree.

X:1
T: My Love's an Arbutus
A: Ireland
S: Twice 55 Plus Community Songs: The New Brown Book M: 3/4
L: 1/8
Q: 1/4 = 70
K: D dorian
N: Or is it D Mixolydian?
GA|Bcd2A2|GAB2AB|GED2D2|D4GE|D2D2EG|A2A2Bc|d2c2B2|A4 GE|D2D2EG|A2A2Bc|dbedcB|A4GA|Bcd2A2|GAB2AB|GED2D2|D4||

You may find the tempo too slow--ABC2WIN doesn't seem to play it the way I want it.

Subject: RE: Song addition: My Love's an Arbutus
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Feb 98 - 01:08 AM

I'm sure you know Arbutus, Child #100, Jerry, but I thought I'd throw in the link for those who might not.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Song addition: My Love's an Arbutus
From: Wolfgang Hell
Date: 17 Feb 98 - 07:42 AM

I'd love to know whether the Arbutus Joe has linked to goes to the same tune as Willie o' Winsbury.
Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Song addition: My Love's an Arbutus
From: Bruce O.
Date: 17 Feb 98 - 09:07 AM

The ABC above is F mixolydian, 3/8 in the Stanford-Petrie collection, #507. The title is "I rise in the morning with my heart full of woe" or "Coola Shore". The 2nd note (b) in the 11th full measure above is an octave too high.

Subject: RE: Song addition: My Love's an Arbutus
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 17 Feb 98 - 12:51 PM

Oops. And here I thought I checked it (and put all the breaks in). Anyway, thanks for the information, Bruce!

I too am curious about the tune of the "Arbutus" in the DT.

Subject: RE: Song addition: My Love's an Arbutus
From: Bruce O.
Date: 17 Feb 98 - 01:09 PM

If you want to match the tune in Stanford-Petrie, you should also change 'dorian' to 'mixolydian'. All mode seems to do in ABC is change the number of sharps or flats on the key signature, (and they are played as the key signature indicates). In the tune above you could call it G mixolydian (no sharps or flats), and it would still play and display as D dorian (no sharps or flats).

Subject: RE: Song addition: My Love's an Arbutus
From: masato sakurai
Date: 22 Nov 03 - 08:03 PM

Score found:

My Love's an Arbutus (Words by A.P. Graves; Old Irish Melody, arr. C.V. Stanford) [PDF file].

Subject: RE: Song addition: My Love's an Arbutus
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 22 Nov 03 - 08:08 PM

Arbutus hard to be in Love...

Arbutus hard, to be in, Love...

:-)

Subject: RE: Song addition: My Love's an Arbutus
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 22 Nov 03 - 08:10 PM

Am I in Love?

Am I in, Love?

Subject: RE: Song addition: My Love's an Arbutus
From: Willa
Date: 23 Nov 03 - 12:12 PM

Thanks, Masato: that looks a useful site.

Subject: RE: Song addition: My Love's an Arbutus
From: GUEST
Date: 24 May 06 - 03:37 AM

I love Arbutus Tree love!

Mrs. Holestelle-Watson has a green girdle and her sapphire sheened eyes sparkle when she tells us of her fruit and blossom lying dead upon her lea. Alas!

I measure the pleasure she gives me when her jealous fingers dim our choir's young charms, Machree.


MMCC for Eistedfodd tomorrow! BRING IT, OTHER CHOIRS!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: My Love's an Arbutus (A P Graves)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Jun 10 - 09:16 AM

Sheet music can be seen in Songs of Old Ireland, the words by Alfred Perceval Graves, the music arranged by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (London: Boosey & Co., 1882), page 139:

The arbutus is also known as the strawberry tree.