Lyr Add: Edward, Edward

Subject: Lyr Add: EDWARD EDWARD (from Percy but modernized)
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 18 Jun 99 - 04:07 AM

The Burl Ives lyrics to Edward in the DT are less bloodthirsty and vitriolic than these.

EDWARD, EDWARD
A Scottish-English ballad collected by Thomas Percy (1729-1811) in "Reliques of Ancient English Poetry" (1765).

"Why does your brand sae drop wi' blude,
  Edward, Edward?
Why does your brand sae drop wi' blude,
  And why sae sad gang ye, O?"
"O, I hae kill'd my hawk sae gude,
  Mither, mither;
O, I have kill'd my hawk sae gude,
  And I had nae mair but he, O!"

"Your hawk's blude was never sae red,
  Edward, Edward?
Your hawk's blude was never sae red,
  My dear son I tell thee, O!"
"O, I hae kill'd my red-roan steed,
  Mither, mither;
O, I hae kill'd my red-roan steed,
  That erst wa sae fair and free, O!"

"Your steed was auld, and ye hae got mair,
  Edward, Edward?
Your steed was auld, and ye hae got mair,
  Some other dole ye dree, O!"
"O, I hae slain my father dear,
  Mither, mither;
O, I hae slain my father dear,
  Alas, and wae is me, O!"

"And whatten pennance will ye dree for that,
  Edward, Edward?
Whatten pennance will ye dree for that
  My dear son, now tell me, O!"
"I'll set my feet upon a boat,
  Mither, mither;
I'll set my feet upon a boat,
  And I'll gang over the sea, O!"

"And what will you do with your towers and your hall,
  Edward, Edward?
And what will you do with your towers and your hall,
  That were so fair to see, O?"
"I'll let them stand till they down fall,
  Mither, mither;
I'll let them stand till they down fall,
  For here never more may I be, O!"

"And what will ye leave to your bairns and your wife,
  Edward, Edward?
And what will ye leave to your bairns and your wife,
  When ye gang owre the sea, O?"
"The warld's room, let them beg through life,
  Mither, mither;
The warld's room, let them beg through life;
  For them never mair will I see, O!"

"And what will ye leave to your ain mither dear,
  Edward, Edward?
And what will ye leave to your ain mither dear,
  My dear son, now tell me, O!"
The curse of hell from me sall ye bear,
  Mither, mither;
The curse of hell from me sall ye bear,
  "Sic counsel ye gave to me, O!"

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: Edward, Edward
From:
Date: 18 Jun 99 - 05:04 AM

Percy didn't collect anything. Edward (Child #13, B text) was sent to him by Sir David Dalrymple, Lord Hailes. The spelling has been modernized in that above, but the antique spelling in Percy's original raised some questions as to its authenticity.

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: Edward, Edward
From: GUEST,George A. Trosper
Date: 28 Jul 19 - 01:28 PM

I believe there's a line missing at the very end, as suggested by the comma: "Sic counsel ye gave to me, O!"

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: Edward, Edward
From: keberoxu
Date: 29 Jul 19 - 02:36 PM

Guest is correct!

Here is another volunteer's contribution, at
a different website,
copying out the version printed in England in 1765.

Edward, Edward: A Scottish Ballad

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: Edward, Edward
From: keberoxu
Date: 29 Jul 19 - 02:52 PM

And in 1773, less than ten years later,
the preceding was translated into German
and published by the eminent poet and folk-music scholar,
Johann Gottfried Herder, in Hamburg.

(scroll to the right of the page for the German translation)

"Ein altschottische Ballade," German translation: Johann Gottfried Herder


and its musical setting by Carl Loewe
Hans Hotter, baritone; Gerald Moore, piano