The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #60248   Message #3746080
Posted By: GUEST
23-Oct-15 - 07:12 AM
Thread Name: Origins: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
There is a 14th century version from Bodley MS Rawlinson D. 913, fol. 1v, item 10, Index 194, as included in "English Lyrics Before 1500," ed. Theodore Silverstein (which you may find on google books, lyric 61). Although there is no tune indicated in this book, I learned it by the Rose Round melody, and it tracks perfectly. The lyrical similarity is obvious, although it has your classic medieval double entendre. The lyrics are:

Al nist by the rose, rose
Al nist by the rose I lay,
Darf ich noust the rose stele
Yet ich bar the flour away.

Pronounced:
All nisht by the rose-e, rose-e,
All nisht by the rose ee lay,
Darf icgh (back of the throat sound) noosht the rose-e shtell-e,
Yet icgh barr the flooer away.

Meaning:
All night by the rose, rose
All night by the rose I lay,
I dared not to steal the rose,
Yet I bore the flower away.

That is; the (male) singer lay all night by the rose (pretty young lady) and dared not to steal her (marry her) but bore off her flower (deflowered her/took her virginity).

So, an interesting beginning for our rose round. =)