[Copied from Judy Cook's web page, with a few punctuation and formatting changes. See PaulM's link above.]

BOWENA
(Traditional Wisconsin)

All versions I've heard of this English hunting song have wonderful and outrageous choruses. This is my favorite; it feels great to sing it. It seems "Bold Reynard" the fox changed his name to "Bowena" when he reached Wisconsin.

CHORUS: Come hic, come hic, come high-low,
Along the merry stream,
With a ra-ta-ta, ti-pa-ti-pa-tan,
And with the royal bow-wow-wow,
Roodle-doodle-doo, the bewbine zing,
Fiddle-diddle-dee and dye-dee,
And through the woods we'll run, brave boys,
And through the woods we'll run.

Come all you gallant sportsmen who love to hunt the fox,
And we'll go hunt Bowena among the rills and rocks. (CHORUS)

The first we saw was a blind man as blind as he could be.
He said he saw Bowena run up the hollow tree. (CHORUS)

The next they saw was a farmer a-hoeing of his corn.
He said he saw Bowena across the waters lorn. (CHORUS)

The next they saw was a fair maid a-combing of her locks.
She said she saw Bowena among the geese and ducks. (CHORUS)

Come all you gallant sportsmen who love to hunt the fox.
We'll go hunt Bowena among the rills and rocks. (CHORUS)

A version of an English song from Folk Music from Wisconsin edited by Helene Stratman-Thomas, sung by Mr. J.L. Peters at Beloit, WI on Library of Congress L55. I joined Mr. Peters' three verses with one from England to have more fun with the chorus.

From Judy Cook's CD "Far From The Lowlands"
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