Lyr Add: My Apron Deary

Subject: Folklore: My Apron Deary
From: GUEST,Mags
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 10:09 PM

I've got a few verses via Allan Ramsey of 'My Apron Deary' and I want to make sure I am understanding the story being told, here.

Twas forth in a morning, a morning of May,
A soldier and his mistress were walking astray;
And low down by yon meadow brow,
I heard a lass cry, my apron now.

O had I ta'en counsel of father or mother,
Or had I ta'en counsel of sister or brother;
But I was a young thing, and easy to woo,
And my belly bears up my apron now.

Thy apron, Deary, I must confess,
Is something the shorter, tho' naething the less;
I never was wi' ye a night but two
And yet ye cry out my apron now.

My apron is made of a lineum twine,
Well set about wi' pearling, Syne
I think it great pity, my babe shou'd tyne,
And I'll row it in my apron fine.


----
So the question is about the last verse's implications - a) that she'll carry it in her apron, and b) she might kill it and carry it in her apron?

Thanks to all -

Subject: RE: Folklore: My Apron Deary
From: Jack Campin
Date: 15 Mar 08 - 06:38 PM

The 17th century versions make it a bit clearer - she got lucky. The father makes an honest (and wealthy) woman of her; she's saying the baby won't lack for anything. Pearls on the apron for a start.

Subject: RE: Folklore: My Apron Deary
From: Megan L
Date: 15 Mar 08 - 07:05 PM

Pearlin had nothing whatsoever to do with pearls it is an old Scots term for lace. It is from the same root source as Purl which originally was the english word for lace edging.

Subject: RE: Folklore: My Apron Deary
From: Jack Campin
Date: 15 Mar 08 - 07:20 PM

My Scots dictionary says it could mean pearls, and often meant gold or silver braid as well. At any rate, even lace was expensive stuff, and whatever it was she didn't just have a scrap of old sack tied round her waist. No point in mentioning it unless it was special.

Subject: RE: Folklore: My Apron Deary
From: Emma B
Date: 15 Mar 08 - 07:41 PM

I believe the old meaning in Middle English (14thC) is gold or silver thread or wire for embroidering or edging.

Subject: RE: Folklore: My Apron Deary
From: GUEST,Mags
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 09:31 PM

My understanding from the OED is that perling just means the lace edging - but its those last 2 verses I'd love some insight/clarification on:


I think it great pity, my babe shou'd tyne,
And I'll row it in my apron fine.


In the OED, 'tyne' is separate or be separated, or divided, and I've seen it used in 'the cruel mother' to mean she's gonna cut the baby in half - so is she half-threatening the baby?

Another technical question about the darn apron :) Other lyrics use the phrase "row'd it aneath my apron" and I'm wondering physically how this would work.

Would a woman put things in her apron, meaning on top, and lifting up the bottom corners to hold the contents in when she was carrying something somewhere, or was this some how literally meaning underneath her apron and rolled up. I guess I'm verifying what 'row' means, because the OED isn't clearing it up for me.

Subject: RE: Folklore: My Apron Deary
From: Effsee
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 10:50 PM

At a guess, from a male point of view, I would think that as the baby grew in her womb, her belly literally "rowed" beneath her apron.
i.e. her stomach rolled bigger and bigger.

Subject: RE: Folklore: My Apron Deary
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 17 Mar 08 - 02:41 AM

'Tyne' or 'tine' also means 'to be lost' or 'perish'; and I think it is in that sense that the line should be understood. Nothing sinister going on. Besides 'roll', 'row' also means 'wrap up'; and because that is the simplest interpretation it is the most likely.

Subject: RE: Folklore: My Apron Deary
From: Jack Campin
Date: 17 Mar 08 - 08:03 AM

tyne = "lack", "suffer deprivation" is more likely surely?

Subject: Lyr Add: APRON DEARY
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 Dec 09 - 11:21 AM

From Ancient and modern Scottish songs, heroic ballads, etc. by George Paton (Edinburgh: John Wotherspoon, 1776), page 11:

APRON DEARY

'Twas early in the morning, a morning of May,
A soldier and a lassie was wauking astray;
Close down in yon meadow, yon meadow brow,
I heard the lass cry, my apron now,

My apron, deary, my apron now,
My belly bears up my apron now,
But I being a young thing, was easy to woo,
Which maks me cry out, My apron now.

O had I ta'en counsel o' father or mother,
Or had I advised wi' sister or brother,
But I being a young thing, and easy to woo,
It makes me cry out, My apron now,

My apron, deary, &c.

Your apron, deary, I must confess,
Seems something the shorter, tho' naething the less;
Then had your tongue, deary, and I will prove true,
And nae mair cry out, Your apron now.

Your apron, deary, &c.—Your belly, &c.
Then had your tongue, &c.