Lyr Req: 'There dwelt a man in babylon'

Subject: Lyr Req: 'There dwelt a man in babylon'
From: chico
Date: 25 Mar 05 - 06:56 AM

I'm trying to get the complete chords & lyrics for all the "shakespeare" ssociated music. Right now I'm trying to complete "There dwelt a man in babylon". Reference is the "Broadside band: Songs and dances of shakespeare". I have the chords and 95% of the verses on the recording. There are a few words unintelligible, also there are other verses which were unrecorded due to the length of the song (They are in the booklet that comes with the CD, which I lost a long time ago).

Here is what I have

       Em    Bm      Em          G       A       B7
There dwelt a man in Babylon of reputation great by fame
    Em      Bm    Em             G             A       B7
He took to wife a fair woman, Susannah she was called by name
Em G    Bm       C B    Em    B
A woman fair and virtuous, Lady, Lady,
Em    G   Bm      C       B       Em   B Em
Why should we not of her [trust] to live godly


That year two judges there were made which were the elders of Babylon
To Joachim's house was all ?? ??played who was Susannah's husband then
Joachim was a great rich man, Lady, Lady
These elders oft to his house came for this lady

These elders came to her her anon, and thus they said
'Fair dame, Godspeed, thy doors are fast thy maids are gone
Consent to us and do this deed for we are men of no distrust, lady lady
And yet to thee we have a lust' O faire lady

If that to us thou dost say nay a testimonial we will bring
We will say that one with thee lay how canst thou avoid the thing
Therefore consent and to us turn
Lady Lady, for we to thee with lust do burn, o faire lady

Then did she sigh and say 'alas, o woe is me' ??? ? ?
Was ever wrench in such a case, Shall I consent and do this deed
Whether I do or do it not, Lady, lady, it is my death right well I wought, o true lady


Better it were for me to fall into your hands this day guitless
Then that I should consent at all to this your shameful wickedness
Have need me that will as? she stood
Lady Lady, until to the lord she cried aloud pitifully

These elders both likewise again,
Against susannah aloud did cried
Their filthy lust could not obtain their wickedness they sought to hide
Unto her friends they then her brought, lady lady, and with all speed the life they sought of that lady

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics: 'There dwelt a man in babylon'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 25 Mar 05 - 03:23 PM

A broadside song originally registered in 1562-3; also in 1592, 1624 and 1675. Apparently modelled on William Elderton's King Salomon (1559) and sung to the same tune. A transcription of the Roxburghe Collection example, printed for John Wright the Elder, appears in Roxburghe Ballads (I, 190-193) as 'An excellent Ballad Entituled: The Constancy of Susanna.' It is rather longer than the above.

Presumably this and other songs found as fragments in Shakespeare plays can be found in various books on the subject. Perhaps someone here still has their copy of the cd insert. Failing that, I'll try to get back to it later.

See also Claude M Simpson, The British Broadside Ballad and Its Music, 410-412. Simpson prints the tune from Thomas Dallis' MS Lute Book of c.1570.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics: 'There dwelt a man in babylon'
From: masato sakurai
Date: 25 Mar 05 - 07:02 PM

See the Elderton version at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads:

Printers: Coles, F.? (London); Vere, T.? (London)
Date: [s.a.]
          Illus. Ballads on sheet: 1
          Note: Sheet divided; torn and cropped bottom edge
   
Copies: Douce Ballads 1(30a)
   
Ballads: 1. An excellent ballad, intituled The constancy of Susanna ("There was a man in Babylon ...")
            Author: Elderton, William
            Subject: Susanna and the elders

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics: 'There dwelt a man in babylon'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 25 Mar 05 - 07:32 PM

Thanks for pointing to that; I had overlooked the Douce reference. Chappell considered the ballad to be the work of Elderton, while Simpson thinks it an imitation. I don't know if the Bodleian attribution is based on more recent information. Simpson places the Douce print as one of those following the re-registration of the ballad in 1675.

I also missed his reference to a traditional survival of the tune in Wales. Four versions appeared in The Welsh Folk-Song Journal (vol 2 part 3 no 107, 1922) set to Welsh words but retaining the tune-title Susanna. One is reproduced in The Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society (vol III, no 3, 1938, pp 170-1) with a verse of Susanna set to it; in Wales it had been used for a Christmas song, Wel dyma'r hynod wyl Nadolig.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics: 'There dwelt a man in babylon
From: chico
Date: 25 Mar 05 - 11:12 PM

My fixed, still abridged version (use fixed width font for chords to line them up properly):

        Em     Bm      Em     
  There dwelt a man in Babylon 
        G        A        B7
  of reputation great by fame
      Em      Bm     Em        
  He took to wife a fair woman,
       G             A        B7
  Susanna was she called by name
    Em G     Bm       C  B    Em     B 
  A woman fair and vertuous, Lady, Lady, 
  Em     G   Bm      C        B       Em   B  Em
  Why should not we of her learn thus to live godly

That year two judges there was made
which were the elders of Babylon
To Ioachims house was all their trade
who was Susanna's husband then
Ioachim was a great rich man, Lady, Lady
These elders oft to his house came for this Lady

These elders came to her her anon,
And thus they said 'fair dame, Godspeed'
Thy doors are fast thy maids are gone
Consent to us and do this deed
For we are men of no distrust, Lady Lady
And yet to thee we have a lust O fair Lady

If that to us thou dost say nay
A testimonial we will bring
We will say that one with thee lay
How canst thou avoid this thing
Therefore consent and to us turn, Lady Lady,
For we to thee with lust do burn, o fair Lady

Then did she sigh and said 'Alas,
Now woe is me on every foe
Was ever wretch in such a case,
Shall I consent and do this deed
Whether I do or do it not, Lady, Lady,
It is my death right well I wot, O true Lady

Better it were for me to fall
Into your hands and be guitless
Then that I should consent at all
To this your shameful wickedness
And even with that (whereas she stood) Lady Lady,
Unto the Lord she cry'd aloud, pitifully

These elders both likewise again,
Against Susanna aloud did cry'd
Their filthy lust could not obtain
Their wickedness they sought to hide
Unto her friends they then her brought, Lady Lady,
And with all speed the life they sought of that Lady

Judgement there was for one offence
Susanna causeless she must die
These elders bore such evidence
Against her they did derive
Who were believed then indeed Lady Lady
Against Susanna to proceed that she should die

The Lord her voice heard and beheld
The daughters cry of Israel's
His spirit he raised in a cloud
Whose name was cll'd young Daniel
Who cryed aloud whereas he stood, Lady Lady
I am clean for the guiltless blood, of this Lady

Are you such fools (quote Daniel then)
in judgement you have not done well
Nor yet the right way have you gone
to judge the Daughter of Israel
By this witness of false disdain, Lady Lady
Wherefore to judgement turn again, for that Lady

And when to judgement they were set
he called for these wicked men
And soon he did them seperate
putting the one from th'other then
He askt the first where he did see that fair Lady
He said under a mulberry tree Who lyed falsly

Thou lyest (saith Daniel) on thy head
Thy sentence is before the Lord
He bad that forth he might be led
and bring the other that bare record
To see how they two did agree Lady Lady
He said under a pomgranate tree, Who lyed falsly

Said Daniel as he did before
behold the messenger of the Lord
Stands waiting for you at the door
even to cut thee with a sword
And even with that the multitude aloud did cry
Give thnaks to God nd to conclude for this Lady.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE CONSTANCY OF SUSANNA (from Bodleian)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 Mar 05 - 09:51 AM

Here's my transcription of the broadside. (See the link above.) I have put the differences between this and the above transcription in boldface, not counting differences in spelling and punctuation, which I have modernized. Note that there is still one word I am uncertain of, which I have marked with (?).

THE CONSTANCY OF SUSANNA

There was a man in Babylon
    Of reputation great by fame.
He took to wife a fair woman.
    Susanna was she called by name,
A woman fair and virtuous,
        Lady, lady.
Why should not we of her learn thus
        To live godly?

Virtuously her life she led.
    She fearèd God. She stood in awe.
As in the story you may read,
    Was well brought up in Moses' law.
Her parents they were godly folk,
        Lady, lady.
Why should we not then talk
        Of this lady?

That year two judges there was made
    Which were the elders of Babylon.
To Ioachim's house was all their trade,
    Who was Susanna's husband then.
Ioachim was a great rich man,
        Lady, lady.
These elders oft to his house came
        For this lady.

Ioachim had an orchard by
    Fast joining to his house or place,
Whereas Susanna commonly
    Herself did daily there solace;
And that these elders soon espied,
        Lady, lady,
And privately themselves did hide
        For that lady.

Her chaste and constant life was tried
    By these elders of Babylon.
A time convenient they espied
To have this lady all alone.
    In this orchard, it came to pass,
        Lady, lady,
Where she alone herself did wash
        Her fair body.

These elders came to her anon,
    And thus they said, "Fair dame, godspeed.
The doors are fast. The maids are gone.
    Consent to us and do this deed,
For we are men of no mistrust,
        Lady, lady,
And yet to thee we have a lust,
        O fair lady.

"If that to us thou dost say nay,
    A testimonial we will bring.
We will say that one with thee lay.
    How canst thou avoid this thing?
Therefore consent and to us turn,
        Lady, lady,
For we to thee in lust do burn,
        O fair lady."

Then did she sigh and said, "Alas!
    Now woe is me on every side.
Was ever wretch in such a case?
    Shall I consent and do this deed?
Whether I do or do it not,
        Lady, lady,
It is my death right well I wot,
        O true lady.

"Better it were for me to fall
    Into your hands and be guiltless
Than that I should consent at all
    To this your shameful wickedness."
And even with that (whereas she stood),
        Lady, lady,
Unto the Lord she cried aloud
        Pitifully.

These elders both likewise again,
    Against Susanna aloud they cried.
Their filthy lust could not obtain.
    Their wickedness they sought to hide.
Unto her friends they then her brought,
        Lady, lady,
And with all speed the life was sought
        Of that lady.

On the morrow she was brought forth
    Before the people for to stand,
That they might hear and know the truth,
    How these two elders Susanna found.
The elders swore and thus did say,
        Lady, lady,
How that they saw a young man lay
        With this lady.

Judgement there was for one offence.
    Susanna causeless she must die.
These elders bore such evidence
    Against her they did derive(?),
Who were believèd then indeed,
        Lady, lady,
Against Susanna to proceed
        That she should die.

Susanna's friends that stood her by,
    They did lament and were full woe,
When as they saw no remedy
    But that to death she then must go.
Then unto Him that is so just,
        Lady, lady,
In God was all her hope and trust.
        To him they cry.

The Lord her voice heard and beheld
    The daughters cry of Israel.
His spirit he raisèd in a child
    Whose name was called young Daniel,
Who cried aloud whereas he stood,
        Lady, lady,
"I am clear of the guiltless blood,
        Of this lady.

"Are you such fools? (quoth Daniel then)
    In judgement you have not done well,
Nor yet the right way have you gone
    To judge the daughter of Israel
By this witness of false disdain,
        Lady, lady,
Wherefore to judgement turn again,
        For that lady."

And when to judgement they were set,
    He callèd for these wicked men,
And soon he did them separate,
    Putting the one from th' other then.
He asked the first where he did see
        That fair lady.
He said, "Under a mulberry tree,"
        Who lied falsely.

"Thou liest. (saith Daniel) On thy head
    Thy sentence is before the Lord."
He bad that forth he might be led
    And bring the other that bare record
To see how they two did agree,
        Lady, lady.
He said, "Under a pomegranate tree,"
        Who lied falsely.

Said Daniel as he did before,
    "Behold! The messenger of the Lord
Stands waiting for you at the door
    Even to cut thee with a sword."
And even with that the multitude
        Aloud did cry,
"Give thanks to God and to conclude
        For this lady."

They dealt like with these wicked men
    According as the Scripture saith.
They did as with their neighbour then
    By Moses' law were put to death.
She innocent preservèd was,
        Lady, lady,
As God by Daniel brought to pass
        For this lady.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics: 'There dwelt a man in babylon'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 27 Mar 05 - 11:21 AM

"verifie".