48 Gathering Rushes

GATHERING RUSHES

As I walked out one morning, thinking to take some sport
Down by a crystal fountain where people did resort,
'Twas there I spied a fair maid and she was all alone
With a bunch of rushes in her hand she’d been gathering all the
morn.

CHORUS
She’d been gathering all the morn,
She’d been gathering all the morn,
With a bunch of rushes in her hand
she’d been gathering all the morn.

Good morning to you, fair maid, how came you here so soon?
I have been gathering rushes and now I am returning home.
He said, Fair maid, come along with me down to yon shady grove
And for evermore I will prove true, I’ll swear to the powers above.
Chorus: I’ll swear to the powers above . . .

Then he took her by the lily-white hand and gave her kisses sweet.
She said, Young man be civil, don’t me ill entreat.
She says, You’re going to delude me because that I am poor and low,
So I pray, young man, don’t tease me or break my rushes, oh.
Chorus: Or break my rushes, oh . . .

Then this fair maid consented to lay her rushes down,
The morning being dewy she spread her morning gown.
And now if trouble I should gain, the world will on me frown;
I shall remember gathering rushes and spreading my morning gown.
Chorus: And spreading my morning gown . . .

Notes from Reeves:

Gardiner collected from Mr John Norman at Southampton, June 25, 1906

Ms. gives title "As I Walked out one Morning"

Chorus lines written out in full after each stanza.

Rush-gathering and related occupations such as basket-making were traditionally female (cf. Green Besoms, No. 55, and Three Maids a-Rushing, No. I 32). ‘Rushing’ is in the lingua franca of folk song frequently a metaphor for female sexual adventure, as ploughing, sowing and reaping are for male. That this may also be so in the East is suggested by a very beautiful anonymous fourth-century Chinese love-song translated by Arthur Waley in his 170 Chinese Poems as "Plucking the Rushes."

#48 in The Everlasting Circle, by James Reeves ©1960, pp118-119