GUEST,ottery mentioned this on 30 Oct 19 - 06:20 AM.

I found these lyrics at the Mainly Norfolk website, and I also listened to the recording on Spotify and verified that the transcription is accurate. (I tweaked the spelling and punctuation a bit, though.) You can also hear a performance on YouTube.


THE HUNTSMAN
As sung by Fay Hield on “Looking Glass,” 2010.

The huntsman blew loud on his horn, blew loud on his horn,
And all that he blew it was lost and gone, was lost and gone,
Tarrio sa sa, ti ra la la,
And all that he blew it was lost and gone.

He cast his net the bush about, the bush about.
A nut-brown girl jumped quickly out, jumped quickly out,
Tarrio sa sa, ti ra la la,
A nut-brown girl jumped quickly out.

O nut-brown girl, don’t you run away, don’t run away.
My hounds they will run and they’ll howl and bay, they’ll howl and bay,
Tarrio sa sa, ti ra la la,
My hounds they will run and they’ll howl and bay.

Your hounds may run but they’ll catch me not, they’ll catch me not,
I’ll run through fields and I’ll never stop, I’ll never stop,
Tarrio sa sa, ti ra la la,
I’ll run through fields and I’ll never stop.

My hounds will win and you know full well, you know full well,
They long for the sound of your funeral bell, your funeral bell,
Tarrio sa sa, ti ra la la,
They long for the sound of your funeral bell.

Well, if I die, then I’ll be dead, then I’ll be dead,
And bury me under the roses red, the roses red,
Tarrio sa sa, ti ra la la,
And bury me under the roses red.

And on her grave the rose grew tall, the rose grew tall,
A squire rode by for to pick them all, to pick them all,
Tarrio sa sa, ti ra la la,
A squire rode by for to pick them all.

O squire, O squire, let the roses stand, the roses stand.
They are for a better young huntsman’s hand, a huntsman’s hand,
Tarrio sa sa, ti ra la la,
They are for a better young huntsman’s hand.

The huntsman blew loud on his horn, blew loud on his horn,
And all that he blew it was lost and gone, was lost and gone,
Tarrio sa sa, ti ra la la,
And all that he blew it was lost and gone.

* * *
Tbis appears to be a translation of a German song. The Mainly Norfolk website also gives lyrics in German:


ES BLIES EIN JÄGER WOHL IN SEIN HORN
After the old ballad of the Nachtjäger (the night hunter); melody after Friedrich Nicolai, 1777

Es blies ein Jäger wohl in sein Horn, wohl in sein Horn,
Und alles was er blies, das war verlor’n, das war verlor’n
Hallia hussassa! Tirallala!
Und alles was er blies, das war verlor’n.

Soll denn mein Blasen - verloren sein? ...
Viel lieber wollt’ ich kein Jäger sein. ...

Er warf sein Netz - wohl über’n Strauch ...
Da sprang ein schwarzbraunes - Mädel heraus ...

„Ach schwarzbraunes Mädel, - entspring mir nicht! ...
Ich habe große Hunde, - die holen dich. ...

„Deine großen Hunde. - die fürcht ich nicht, ...
Sie kennen meine hohen, - weiten Sprünge nicht. ...

„Deine hohen weiten Sprünge, - die kennen sie wohl, ...
Sie wissen, daß du heute - noch sterben sollst. ...

„Und sterbe ich heute, - so bin ich tot, ...
Begräbt man mich - unter Rosen rot. ...

„Wohl unter die Rosen, - wohl unter den Klee, ...
Darunter vergeh’ - ich nimmermeh’. ...

Er warf ihr das Netz - wohl über’n Leib, ...
Da ward sie des jungfrischen - Jägers Weib.

[Literal translation:]

A hunter blew his horn, his horn,
And everything he blew was lost, it was lost
Hallia hussassa! Tirallala!
And everything he blew was lost.

Should my blowing be lost? ...
I would much rather not be a hunter. ...

He threw his net – however, over a bush...
Then a dark brown girl jumped out...

“Oh, dark brown girl, don’t run from me! ...
I have big dogs - they'll come for you. ...

“Your big dogs. - I'm not afraid of them...
You don't know my high, long jumps. ...

“Your high, long jumps - they know them well...
They know that you are supposed to die today. ...

“And if I die today, I am dead...
Bury me - under red roses. ...

“Well among the roses, - well among the clover, ...
Underneath it disappearing - I never go. ...[*]

He threw the net over her body ...
Then she became the young hunter's wife. ...


* I think this line could use a better translation, but I am not fluent in German, and Google wasn’t much help.