Lyr Req: The Game of Dice / Dice of Gold (Danish)

Subject: Looking for a song, please - Dice of Gold?
From: GUEST,Riverside_Wren
Date: 27 Jun 15 - 04:29 AM

Hi there,

Trying to track down a song that was sung at our session a few weeks ago by someone who hasn't come again since.

Basically the premise was a princess who is visited by a commoner/robber, and they play dice. She steadily bets her wealth, crown, and eventually offers her hand in marriage, which the man wins. It was rather twee in it's phrasing, but I would like to learn it.   

The chorus went "Fancy free and bold/carelessly they rolled/over the chequered board the dice of gold." Some quick googling has turned up a Danish song which might be the root. See http://bit.ly/1KishLd

Would be grateful for ideas; I don't remember him saying that it was an original arrangement.

Thanks!

Wren.

Subject: RE: Looking for a song, pleas - Golden Dice?
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jun 15 - 04:30 AM

Arrgh. Apologies for the typos and misplaced apostrophe...

Subject: Lyr Add: THE GAME OF DICE (trad. Danish)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 Jun 15 - 11:56 PM

From Danish Ballads translated by E. M. Smith-Dampier (Cambridge University Press, 1920), pages 138-143:

"The Game of Dice," with its more conventional ending, is concerned for gentility. Its Danish version dates from the twelfth or thirteenth century. Other forms exist in Norwegian and Icelandic, and in a Swedish broadsheet of the later eighteenth century. There is also a Slav version.

THE GAME OF DICE

1. "Harken here, thou good young swain,
And play at dice with me!"
"Oh, ne'er have I the ruddy gold
To wager here with thee."
—Because they played, and threw the dice of gold.

2. "Oh, wager now thy goodly hat,
Altho' it be of grey,
And I will wager my snood of pearl,
Shalt take it, an thou may!"

3. When first the dice of gold
Upon the board did run,
The youth he lost his wager,
And glad the maiden won.

4. "Harken here, thou good young swain,
And cast the dice with me!"
"Oh, ne'er have I the ruddy gold
To wager here with thee."

5. "Now wager thou thy kirtle,
Altho' it be of grey,
And I will wager my golden crown,
Shalt take it, an thou may!"

6. When next the dice of gold
Upon the board did run.
The youth he lost his wager.
And glad the maiden won.

7. "Harken here, thou good young swain.
And play at dice with me!"
"Oh, ne'er have I the ruddy gold
To wager here with thee."

8. "Thy hosen shalt thou wager.
And shoon shalt wager both;
I'll set thereto my honour,
But and my plighted troth."

9. And when the dice of gold
Upon the board were cast,
The youth he won the wager,
And sad the maiden lost.

10. "Harken here, young jackanapes.
And get thee gone from me!
My knife adorned with silver
That will I give to thee."

11. "Thy knife adorned with silver
I'll take it when I may;
But I will have the maiden
I won with dice at play!"

12. "Harken here, young jackanapes,
And get thee gone from me!
Seven silk-sewn kirtles
All will I give to thee."

13. "Thy seven silk-sewn kirtles
I'll take whenas I may;
But I will have the maiden
I won with dice at play!"

14. "Harken here, young jackanapes.
And get thee gone from me!
A white steed and saddle
Those will I give to thee."

15. "White steed and saddle
I'll take whene'er I may;
But I will have the maiden
I won with dice at play!"

16. "Harken here, young jackanapes,
And get thee gone from me!
My hold and my castle
Those will I give to thee."

17. "Thy hold and thy castle
I'll take them when I may;
But I will have the maiden
I won with dice at play!"

18. The maiden sought her bower,
And there her locks arrayed:
"Now for the match that I must make
God help me, luckless maid!"

19. All with his sword a-playing
The youth he up and spake:
"Oh, better far than thy deserts
The match that thou shalt make!

20. "For I am ne'er a jackanapes,
Altho' it be thy word;
I am the noblest son of kings
That ever walked abroad!"

21. "Art thou the noblest son of kings
That ever walked abroad,
Then shalt thou have mine honour,
But and my plighted word!"
—Because they played, and threw the dice of gold.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Game of Dice / Dice of Gold (Danish)
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 28 Jun 15 - 04:25 AM

As 'The Little Horse Boy' it's in Prior, Vol 3, p143
Grundtvig had it as 'Taerning Spillet' Vol IV p402, no 238. Child mentions it in Vol 2, Dover. p458 but it's in most of the Danish ballad collections in English translation.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Game of Dice / Dice of Gold (Danish)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jun 15 - 04:34 AM

Thanks Jim,

Yes, this is the link I found above, but I didn't have access to the whole text, so that's very interesting to see.   The maiden is both much more unwilling in this older version, and much more concerned with the propriety of her station! I'm almost certain that the version I am thinking of will be at least 19th century. It has a very 'soldier soldier' feeling about it.

Wren.