Origins: I Will Sing Thee

Subject: Origins: I Will Sing Thee
From: Nehi
Date: 03 Apr 09 - 09:20 AM

My Irish Grandmother would sing me a song when I was very young. I remember some of the lyrics were:

I will sing thee,
What will you sing me,
I will sing thee one
What is your one

One is God along who never, never man saw...

I can't find these lyrics anywhere and was just wondering, is it a derivation of another song?

Subject: RE: Origins: I Will Sing Thee
From: GUEST,Cyparissa
Date: 03 Apr 09 - 09:45 AM

I've never heard quite those lyrics before, but it sounds like a version of Green Grow the Rushes. The beginning is very similar:

"I'll sing you one, O
Green grow the rushes, O
What is your one, O
One is one and all alone and evermore shall be so."

Subject: RE: Origins: I Will Sing Thee
From: Marje
Date: 03 Apr 09 - 10:00 AM

A similar song (and yes it's related to Green Grow the Rushes) is known in Devon, and no doubt elsewhere, as The Dilly Song. Search the forum for this and you'll find more information.

Marje

Subject: RE: Origins: I Will Sing Thee
From: Cats
Date: 03 Apr 09 - 10:01 AM

It might be The Dilly Song you are thinking of which is to be found in the Baring Gould manuscripts.

ch

Subject: RE: Origins: I Will Sing Thee
From: GUEST,Bardford
Date: 03 Apr 09 - 10:05 AM

Great Big Sea do a version called Come and I will Sing You

Subject: RE: Origins: I Will Sing Thee
From: Cats
Date: 03 Apr 09 - 10:08 AM

Sorry pressed the wrong button...

Come and I will Sing you,
What will you sing me?
I will sing you one [2,3,4,etc]O
What is your one O?

One of them is all alone and ever more shall be so

Two of them are liliywhite babes and dress-ed all in green o

Three of them are strangers o'er the wide world they are rangers o

Four it is the dilly hour when blooms the gilly flower o

Five it is the dilly bird that's never seen or heard o

Six the feryman in the boat that doth on the river float o

seven it is the crown if heaven the shining stars are seven o

eight it is the morning break whan all the world'ds awake o

nine it is the pale moonshine the pale moonlight is nine o

Ten forbids all kind of sin and ten begins again o

Subject: RE: Origins: I Will Sing Thee
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Apr 09 - 11:45 AM

See thread 34787 for versions of The Dilly Song and Green Grow the Rushes.

Dilly Song

A lot of links will also show up at the top of that thread.

Subject: RE: Origins: I Will Sing Thee
From: Nehi
Date: 03 Apr 09 - 12:18 PM

Thanks everyone. Those links at the top of the Dilly Song thread really explains it. Seeems like everyone has their own version.

Subject: RE: Origins: I Will Sing Thee
From: JeffB
Date: 03 Apr 09 - 12:31 PM

Ralph Dunstan, D. Mus, a Cornishman, published the Dilly Carol in 1923 in his "First Book of Christmas Carols" (don't know if he ever got round to producing a second). He noted "The mythical Dilly bird was supposed to come only at Christmas but was 'never seen but heard-o'. Variants of the dilly Carol are sung in most countries of Europe. The [version in my book] is exactly as I have many times heard it - generally sung by three singers at or about the time of Twelfth Night - in West Cornwall ..."

I have a theory that "dilly" is relatyed to the Welsh word "dilys" which is both a personal name and also means "true, authentic" (as far as I know). I have heard somewhere that it once meant "excellent". Are there any Welsh or Cornish speakers who can confirm this, or at least comment?

Subject: RE: Origins: I Will Sing Thee
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Apr 09 - 08:03 PM

I think the line in the first message is supposed to be

One is God alone who never, never man saw...

I think I heard a religious version of "Green Grow the Rushes" somewhere, but I can't recall where.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Origins: I Will Sing Thee
From: Nehi
Date: 03 Apr 09 - 08:26 PM

You're right Joe...sorry for the mistype.