The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #7067   Message #3453418
Posted By: GUEST,Sue Clarke
17-Dec-12 - 02:59 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Bonny May (from June Tabor)
Subject: RE: June Tabor's Bonny May
Here it is:
Bonnie May a shepherding's gone
Calling her sheep to the fold
And as she sang her bonny voice it rang
Right over the top of the Downs, Downs
Right over the top of the Downs.

There came a troop of gentlemen
As they were riding by
And one of them has lighted down
And asked of her the way, way
And asked of her the way.

Ride on, ride on ye rank riders
Your steeds so stout and strong
For it's out of the fold I will not go
For fear that you do me wrong, wrong
For fear that you do me wrong.


He's taken her by the middle gimp(?)
And by the green gown sleeve
And there he's had his will of her
And asked of her no leave, leave
And asked of her no leave.

He's mounted on his berry brown steed
He's soon o'erta'en his men
And one and all cried out to him
Oh master you tarried long, long
Oh master you tarried long.

Oh I've ridden east and I've ridden west
And I've ridden o'er the Downs
But the bonniest lass that ever I saw
Was calling her sheep to the fold, fold
Was calling her sheep to the fold.

She's taken her milk pail on her head
And she's gone lingering home
And all that her father said to her
Was daughter you tarried long, long
Oh daughter you tarried long.

Oh woe be to your shepherd father
For he takes no care of his sheep
For he's builded a fold at the back of the Downs
And a fox has frightened me, me
And a fox has frightened me.

For there came a fox to the fold door
With twinkling eyes so bold
And e'er that he'd taken the lamb that he did
I'd rather he'd taken them all,all
I'd rather he'd taken them all.

When twenty weeks had gone and past
Twenty weeks and three
The lassie began to fret and to frown
And to long for the twinkling eye, bright eye
To long for the twinkling eye.

Well it fell on a day and a bonnie bonnie day
As she walked out alone
That selfsame troop of gentlemen
Came riding over the Downs Downs
Came riding over the Downs.

Who got the babe with thee, Bonnie May
Who got the babe in thy arms
For shame she blushed and Aye she said
Oh a good man of my own,own
Oh a good man of my own.

You lie, you lie you Bonnie Bonnie May
So loud I hear you lie
Remember the misty Murky night
I lay in the fold with thee,thee
I lay in the fold with thee.

(I'm not sure about the third line!):

He's lighted off his berry brown steed
He's set the fair May on
Go call out or cry your father he said
She'll ne'er go there again, again
She'll ne'er go there again.

For he's lord of twenty flocklands
Twenty ploughlands three
And he's taken away the bonniest lass
In all of the south country,country
In all of the south country.