Origins: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)

Subject: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From:
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 02:59 PM

I have only been able to find one Digitized melody for this popular traditional round (a favorite, it seems, for girls' campsong books). Apparently, there are several melody variations. If anyone has any to offer, I would be grateful!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 08:51 PM

Jean Ritchie has put a melody to this little four-line round, with add-on verses, I think it is called the 'Peace' version. In the past others also added verses (ding-dong, love, love, etc., etc.), most not continuing the theme of the four lines.

The verse is supposed to be 17th century. It may be like "Ring Around the Rosie." which is 19th century, with one questionable version from the late 18th., but the fakelorists put great age to it.

Somewhere I got this, probably from the internet because it looks like a recent scribble, but I put it in my rhyme collection without the reference.

e d e lowb
e e f# g a f#
b a b g a b
b g e lowb

The commonest versions are:
Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose,
Shall I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy (my) will,
Sire, at thy (my) will.

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose,
Wil I ever see thee wed?
I marry that you may,
If thou wilt stay.

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose,
Wilt thou never marry me?
Ah, marry that I will,
If thou but stay.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Guest, Jen
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 10:32 PM

There is a tune in Rise up Singing, not the one I learned at GS camp decades ago. We used to sing Rose in a round with another song, Ah Poor Bird (also in Rise Up Singing).

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 11:51 PM

Do you know these rounds?

Hey, ho nobody home
no meat, no drink, nor money have we none.
Yet are we still merry

or

Row, row, row, row
Row your boat to Jesus' side.
There forever to abide,
Lord, at thy side.

Well, the tune for Rose, Rose is about the same at these two.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Jun 03 - 01:46 AM

I added crosslinks up top to other threads on this song, and to the Digital Tradition version (including tune). I think the DT version is closest to the one I learned when I was growing up.

Here's the version from the Rise Up Singing songbook, with a tune that isn't what I learned as a kid:

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose
Shall I e-ver see thee wed?
Aye, mar-ry, that thou wilt
If thou but stay

(same as lyrics in DT)

---

Click to play

---

Here's the version from Sol Weber's Rounds Galore which is closer to what I know:

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose
Shall I e-ver see thee wed?
I shall mar-ry at thy will sire
If thou but stay

---

Click to play

Subject: ADD: Peace Round (Jean Ritchie)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Jun 03 - 02:07 AM

I think this is exactly the tune I learned when I was young.

PEACE ROUND
(Jean Ritchie)

Oh, what a goodly thing
If the children of all men*
Could dwell together
In peace.


*or, "of the earth"

from Celebration of Life (Jean Ritchie, 1971)

---

Click to play

---

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Sep 04 - 09:59 PM

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose,
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will sir, at thy will
Hey ho nobody home
Meat nor drink nor money have I none
Still, I will be veerry merry
Hey ho nobody home
Love Love Love Love
Children this is your call
Love thy neighbore as thy self for God loves all
Building bridges between our divisions
If I reach out to you will you reach out to me?
With all of our voices and all of our visions
Friends we can make such sweet harmony
Ah poor bird
Take thy flight
Fly above the sorrows of this dark night

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Sep 04 - 10:03 PM

Isn't that a kind of a double negative in line six?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Sep 04 - 03:12 AM

Capriole (also known as Steel Bunny) recorded a version of this on 'Sex & Drums & Sausage Rolls'.

Their version went:

Rose, rose, rose, rose,
When will we meet again?
When the nights are cold and lonely,
We shall meet again.

They also do the 'Hey ho, nobody at home' with it.

The rest of the tape is pretty spectacular too, especially 'When Celia was learning on the spinnett to play', which is a tender, touching and positively filthy (if you are so minded..... guilty as charged) Tudor canon.

LTS

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 06 Sep 04 - 01:10 PM

If the tape is available, how can I get it? Not listed in Google or Amazon, and Capriole seems to be mostly goats and cheese.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Sep 04 - 05:25 PM

Will try and find an ISBN for you but it may only be available from the group themselves. Try looking for Hazel Absalome, she's the ringleader!

LTS

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 06 Sep 04 - 05:48 PM

Thanks, Liz

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Er
Date: 24 Sep 04 - 07:41 PM

Yea. We have to sing that song in choir, but we sing it like this:

Rose, rose, rose, rose
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will, sire
At thy will

Hey-ho, nobody home
Meat nor drink nor money have I none
Still I will be very merry
Hey-ho nobody home

Ah poor bird
Take thy flight
Fly above the sorrows of this dark night

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,erika
Date: 30 Oct 04 - 09:54 PM

Here are the lyrics I was taught

Rose Rose Rose Rose
Will I Ever See Thee Wed
I WIll Marry At Thy Will, Sire
At Thy Will

I WIll Not Be My Fathers Jack
and I Wont be my mothers jill
I WIll Be a fiddlers wife
and fiddle I Will

Oh poor bird
why art thou
flying in the shawdows
of this dark hour

hey ho nobody home
got no eat no drink, nor money have i none
still i will be merry
hey ho hey-e ho
hey ho hey-e ho

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Nov 04 - 01:35 PM

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose,
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will, sire,
At thy will.

Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong.
Wedding bells on an April morn.
Carve your name on a moss covered stone,
A moss covered stone.

I have also heard these versions:

Hey, Ho, nobody home.
No meat, no drink, no money have I none.
Still, I will be very, very merry.
Hey, Ho, nobody home.

Ah, poor bird,
Take thy flight
Far above the sorrows of this sad night.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 07 Nov 04 - 01:43 PM

Rose (4x) is only the first four lines. All the rest are floaters, as noted before.
Any Randolph-Legman type parodies?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From:
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 01:23 PM

i have both versons plus more

hey ho nobody home
eat nor drink nor money
have i none
still i wil be verrry
very marry hey ho nobody home
then you repeat it 3 times and on the 4th
you say hey ho hummmm


and rose,rose,rose,rose
will i ever see thee wed
i will merry at thy will sire at thy will


and theres this one
ii ya maklaaa nana lay la ooo
ii ya maklaaa nana lay la ooo
oh oh oh oh ohh ohhhhhh
oh oh oh ohhhhhh

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: belter
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 03:05 PM

Try singing the quadradic equation to the same melody.

negative b
plus or minuse radical b squared
minuse 4 a c
all over 2 a

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,funky
Date: 04 Feb 05 - 06:01 AM

the lyrics i was taught recently were touted as being from mediaeval times and sung by a man to his beloved, who is dying of the plague (i think?!!), which is characterised by paleness... his beseeching "shall i ever see thee red" apparently referred to her regaining colour and therefore health... the lyrics i learnt were as follows, and is sung very mournfully:

rose, rose, rose, rose
shall i ever see thee red?
when shall i marry thee?
when thou art dead

so who knows where my version originated?!! *shrug*

cheers,
funky

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 04 Feb 05 - 01:01 PM

Funky, the last line is absent from all the older versions. The "older" versions are all 20th c., and unless some documentation can be put forth, likely yours is as well.

Here is one actually about a rose (flower). The original?. Perhaps out of a flower book or catalogue:

Rose, rose, rose, rose,
Shall I ever see thee red?
Aye, marry, that thou wilt,
If thou but stay.

With music, p. 159, Janet E. Tobitt, 1946, "The Ditty Bag," NY.
(Posted before? Several threads; I didn't check them all.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Madame Passereau
Date: 17 Feb 05 - 06:05 PM

I have also heard a verse that goes:

Mother, Father, dig my grave
Dig it with a golden spade
Bring some friends and a mourning dove
To show I died for love

When we learned the other verses at camp, they wouldn't let us sing this one because they thought it was too morbid for the littler kids. It's one of my favorites, though.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 18 Feb 05 - 07:26 PM

Guest Q: You have it backwards in your post (#2, above. The melody to "Rose, Rose," is traditional; the "Peace Round" words are what I wrote, setting them to an adaptation (very nearly the same)of the old tune. I used the low note which ends the old tune to sing the first word of my poem, "O"(followed by "what a goodly thing..." etc.)

As I wrote before, in another "Rose, Rose" thread, we sang the words to the old round thusly:

Rose, rose, rose, rose,
Shall I ever see thee red?
Aye, marry, that thou wilt
If thou but stay.

A simple question posed to a rosebud slow to open- nothing to do with pale dying maidens as far as I know.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Feb 05 - 08:19 PM

I wrote that it was a little four-line verse. I thought I was crediting the "Peace" rhymes to you as well as the melody, but I apparently did not make myself clear. Sorry if my post was confusing.

The tune has to be called 'traditional'; all of them, I guess, since there are several I have heard used and no one has claimed them.
The Mudcat midis have two. Is the tune used by you the same as one of these? Like "Barges," neither tune nor rhyme seems to be found in anything older than the scouts and kids songbooks; everything else seems to be speculation. Have you found an older source?

Kytrad, I not only read your post about the rosebud, but I agreed in the next posting. So much for my memory!! And only six months ago- too many threads for me to absorb at my age.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Lolita
Date: 20 Mar 05 - 08:58 PM

When I was at a Girl Scout camp a while back we learned the song (along with sign language for it) and ours went like this:

rose, rose, rose, rose
will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will sire
at thy will

ding dong, ding dong
wedding bells on an april morn
carve thy name on a moss covered stone
on a moss covered stone...

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Kim
Date: 19 Apr 05 - 06:07 PM

Ok, I learned this song at camp and I have no Idea if it's true or not but I learned that it was about the war of the roses. That's why there's the line will I ever see thee red. The verses I was taught were.

Rose Rose Rose Rose
Will I ever see thee red
I will marry at thy will sire
At thy will

Ding dong ding dong
Wedding bells on an April morn
Carve your name on a moss covered stone
On a moss covered stone

Love love love love
Gospel is the word of love
Love thy neighbor as thy brother
Love love love

Ah poor bird
Take thy flight
High above the sorrows
Of this poor night (or knight, I never was completely sure)

I hope this is of some help.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Jen :)
Date: 29 Jun 05 - 07:21 PM

Is there a code to post this song on a site or something like that? Thanks!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 30 Jun 05 - 08:54 AM

Jen -0 I don't understand your question.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Kay
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 07:41 PM

http://www.chivalry.com/cantaria/lyrics/peaceround.html

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 08:12 PM

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose,
Don't never say dese and dose.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Sarah
Date: 27 Oct 05 - 02:39 AM

Found this by googling some of the lyrics and thought I'd add the lyrics I learned, since they're a bit different from anyone else's.

I learned this from a friend who learned it at her church camp in middle school.

Rose rose rose red
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will sire,
at thy will

Oh poor bird
where art thou?
Lying in the shadows
of this old house

Probably just a mishearing of the more common lines "flying in the shadows" and the like.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Cyparissa
Date: 27 Oct 05 - 09:39 AM

QUOTE:
From: GUEST,Madame Passereau - PM
Date: 17 Feb 05 - 06:05 PM

I have also heard a verse that goes:

Mother, Father, dig my grave
Dig it with a golden spade
Bring some friends and a mourning dove
To show I died for love

***

That sounds like a version of Turtledove-

"Go dig my grave both wide and deep
Put a marble stone at my head and feet
In the middle of my grave put a turtledove
To show to the world that I died for love."

That particular version is sung by Custer LaRue- great song, by the way.

Also, does anyone know where I might find written music for "Rose, Rose?" It sounds beautiful, and I just love the words.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: MMario
Date: 27 Oct 05 - 09:48 AM

Rose,Rose at 'Yet another digital Tradition - a site that displays the tunes of the Digital Tradition as sheet music.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Din
Date: 23 Dec 05 - 07:27 PM

I learned it a different way:

"Rose, rose, rose, red
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will
At thy will

Ding dong, ding dong
Wedding bells on an April morn'
Carve thy name in a moss covered stone,
Moss covered stone

Peace, peace, peace, peace
Wars will end and wars will begin
I will never fight again
Never again.."

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,girl scout
Date: 26 Feb 06 - 11:15 PM

We sing this as a camp song-
Rose, rose, rose, rose
will i ever see thy wed
i will marry at thy will, sire, at thy will
rose, rose, rose, rose

then we also sing it-
hey ho, anybody home
meat and drink and money have i none
still i will be very merry
hey ho, anybody home

but not as one song.. just to the same tune.. the first one is depredding to some of our troop.. yes im a 15 yr old girl scout.. so sue me

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,ImaginaryAngel
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 11:51 PM

Rose, rose, rose red,
Shall I ever see thee wed?
Aye, marry; that thou will, sire -
When I am dead.

Can anyone somehow convey to me how the "ah, poor bird" verse works and to what tune? It seems too short for the same tune as Rose Red.
Thank you!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 05 Jun 06 - 01:46 AM

The tune for "Ah, Poor Bird" is not the same as for "Rose, Rose..." and that's why it doesn't seem to scan; it harmonizes well when they're sung simultaneously.

Here it is in abc notation. (More info on that here, but in short, the letters are the notes you'd expect. Capital letters for the octave from middle C, small letters above middle C. In this case, it's based on an 1/8th note, so "D2" is a quarter note D, "F4" is a half note F, "dd" is two eighth note high d's, etc.)

X:1
T:Ah Poor Bird
C:trad.
N:round (compatible with Joan, Joan/Rose, Rose)
Q:1/4=110
V:1
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Dm
D2 E2 F4 |F2 G2 A4 |GA dd cd AA |G F2 E2 D3 |]

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Kate
Date: 17 Jul 06 - 03:31 PM

I have always heard

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose
Will I ever see thee wed
I will marry will sire
At thy will

Ding Dong ding Dong
Wedding bells on an april morning
Carve thy words on a moss covered stone
On a moss covered stone

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Jul 06 - 04:38 PM

Rose, rose, rose, rose
Flows the blood as you are bled.
Basted o'er with rosemary
Roasted rare you will be.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 17 Jul 06 - 09:09 PM

Where's THAT one from, Q??

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 12:03 AM

Written in pencil in a Better Homes and Gardens Meat Cookbook I got at a book sale.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 12:05 AM

That's wonderful!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: MMario
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 08:14 AM

scanscions a bit off, but I like it!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Aug 06 - 07:46 PM

i learned it as this at my girl scout camp basically just felt like seeing if i could remember it all:
Rose,Rose,Rose,Rose
Will i ever see thee wed,
I will marry at thy will sire
at thy will
Hey ho nobody home
meat nor drink nor money have i none
still i will be merry merry merry
hey ho nobody home
ah poor bird take thy flight
high above the sorrows of this cold dark night
the wind in the willows
sighing like a solitary soul alone
the wind in the willows
sighing like a solitary sould alone

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 19 Nov 06 - 11:22 AM

I've only ever heard the version that goes:
Rose, rose, rose, rose
Shall i ever see thee wed?
Aye, marry, that i will
When thou art dead.

Framed as conversation between a spinster and her ailing parent.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Kate
Date: 30 Dec 06 - 11:06 PM

My acting teacher of a few years ago taught my class this version:

Rose, rose, rose, rose
Shall I ever see thee wed?
I marry that thou shalt
When thou art dead.

Hey, ho, nobody home
Bread nor meat nor money have I none
Still I will I will be merry

Ah, poor bird,
Take thy flight
Far above the sorrows of this sad night.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Stormi Night
Date: 16 Jan 07 - 09:11 PM

i learned this song a couple os years back form a counsoler named Whispher, and i have never forgotten it, it was at a Girl Scout camp....

Rose rose rose rose
shall i ever see thy wed
i shall marry at thy will sire
at thy will

ding dong ding dong
wedding bells on a september morn.
carve thy name on a moss covered stone
on a moss covered stone

love love love love
the gospel of the world is love
love thy neighbor as thy brother
love love love

peace peace peace peace
wars shall and wars shall cease
we must learn to live together
peace peace peace

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Danielle
Date: 17 Mar 07 - 11:59 PM

The version I learned in girl scouts went like this:

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose
Will I ever see thee wed?
I shall marry thee at thy will, sire
At thy will

Ding, dong, ding, dong
Wedding bells on an April morn
Carve your name in a moss covered stone
Moss covered stone

Hey, ho nomebody home
No meat, nor drink, nor money have I none
Still I will be verry merry
Love,love,love,love,
Love,looove,love

(the second "love" in the bottom line last as long as two normal "love"s when sung)

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Simple Tom
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 05:35 PM

I ran into this site by searching for the "hey ho" part of the song which my parents sang to me as a child. I recently rediscovered that fragment of the song in Peter Paul and Mary's song entitled "A'Soalin'" (from their "Moving" album).

Lyrics and chords can be found here:
http://members.cox.net/billandleann/a-soalin.htm

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Amanda
Date: 30 Apr 07 - 04:23 PM

Were Doing This Song In Chorus. Its Pretty Awsome I Love The Melody.

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose,
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will, sire,
At thy will.

Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong.
Wedding bells on an April morn.
Carve your name on a moss covered stone,
A moss covered stone.

Ah poor bird
Take thy flight
High above the sorrows
Of this poor night.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,GUEST
Date: 13 Jul 07 - 05:16 PM

I learned this song at GS camp, even though we're not allowed to sing it anymore because it refrences death and all that good stuff. I was also told that it was originally a song about a woman named Rose that was being forced to marry someone she wasn't in love with, so she killed herself. Nobody here seems to have quite all the verses I know in the same message, so I thought I'd put them all into one...

Rose, rose, rose, rose
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will, sire
At thy will

Hey, ho, nobody's home
Eat nor sleep nor money have I none
Still I will be married
Hey, ho, nobody's home

Ding dong, ding dong
Wedding bells on an April morn
Carve your name on a moss covered stone
On a moss covered stone

Mother, Father dig my grave
Dig my grave with a golden spade
Bring my friends and a turtledove
To show I died for love


The verse "Ah poor bird, take thy flight, high above the sorrows of this dark night" is a descant that can be sung with any of the verses, but we usually sing it with the third one.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,norma jean
Date: 02 Aug 07 - 01:01 AM

we learn this at my camp!
its the very last song we sing when we go to sit down for goodbyes
we walk down in twos!!
i love it!!!!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Aug 07 - 06:31 PM

rose, rose, rose, rose,
will I ever see thee wed?
I shall marry at my will,
sire, at my will.

ding, dong, ding, dong,
wedding bells on an April morning,
carve thy name on a moss-covered stone,
on a moss-covered stone.

Hey ho, nobody's home,
meat nor drink nor money have I none,
still I will be very merry,
hey ho, nobody's home.

Mother, Father, dig my grave,
dig it with a golden spade,
bring some friends and a morning dove,
to show my die for love.

Au poor bird,
take thy flight,
high above the sorrows,
of this cruel dark night.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Rainel
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 09:40 PM

Well I heard these verses. Don't ask me where. I believe we sang them at camp.

Rose, rose, rose, rose
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will, sire
At thy will

Ding dong, ding dong
wedding bells on an April morn
Carve thy name in a moss covered stone
a moss covered stone

Hey ho nobody home
food nor drink nor money have I none
Yet I will be very very merry
Hey ho nobody home

Mother, Father, dig my grave,
dig it with a golden spade,
bring some friends and a morning dove,
to show my die for love.

Ding dong, ding dong
Funderal bells on a September morn
Rose oh rose is dead and gone
sire dead and gone

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Cathedral
Date: 15 Oct 07 - 09:53 PM

I'm pretty sure this is the original version, extant in medieval England and still used by folk singers as a round (ie song which, sung by different voices starting the same melody at different times, provides its own harmony). Every line ends with the same rhyme, which makes for a pleasing choral blend when sung.

Rose, rose, rose red,
Will I ever see thee wed?
"I'll marry you", she said,
"When thou art dead".

DCDA
DDEEFGFE
aBaBCBa
FEDA

Those are the pitches for each line. It's in 2/4 and lines 1 and 4 both only contain crotchets (quarter notes). There are 2-note melismas on "thee" in line 2; and on the second syllable of "marry" in line 3. Small case "a" stands for the higher octave. Any musician worth his salt ought to be able to work the rest out from this!

Enjoy.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,stacy california
Date: 26 Oct 07 - 05:04 AM

another verse I've heard after hey-ho is

free, free, free to live,
free to love, and free to give,
don't look back, look on to tomorrow
cause your free, free, free, free.

and then comes oh poor bird..

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 11:33 AM

Rose Rose Rose Red,
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will sir,
Marry at thy will.

Ding dong ding dong,
Wedding bells on a warm April morn,
Carve your name on a moss covered stone
A moss covered stone.

Ding dong ding dong
Funeral bells on a cold December morn,
Rose my love is dead and gone
Is dead and gone.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,me
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 11:25 AM

i thought the lyrice were:

rose, rose, rose red
shall i ever see thee wed?
aye, amrry, that i shall;
when thou art dead!

we sing it as a round and we start off slow and classical and then change to upbeat, jazzy swing style. oh well!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Catfeet
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 12:01 PM

Here's another multi-year thread on just this topic. http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=1143

Catfeet

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: MMario
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 12:10 PM

yes - the link to that thread is already listed at the top of the thread. where it says "related threads"

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Sakuraishakowa
Date: 13 Jun 08 - 03:47 PM

I have only heard one version of the song at summer camp.

Rose, rose, rose, rose Will I ever see thee wed? I will marry at thy will sire At thy will.

Ding, dong, ding, dong Wedding bells on an April morn. Carve thy name on a moss coverd stone On a moss covered stone.

I used E D E (low)B E E F# F# G A G F# (high)B (high)B A A G A G F# (low)B C D F# C

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: trevek
Date: 13 Jun 08 - 05:07 PM

I haven't seen it writtn, but I assumed the version I know goes:

Rose, Rose, Rose Red,
Shall I ever see thee wed,
Aye, marry that I shall,
When thou art dead.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Kara
Date: 14 Jun 08 - 05:52 AM

I always thought it was a death treat/murder ballad

Rose rose rose rose
shall I ever see thee red?
I parry that I will
when thou art dead...

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,J & S
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 09:21 PM

Rose Rose Rose Rose
Shall I ever see thee wed?
I shall marry at thy will, sire
At thy will

Rose rose rose rose
You shall wed the duke of york
He shall be your loving lord
Your true and loving lord

Rose rose rose rose
This shall be your wedding day
The duke of york in bright array
The duke in bright array

There are more verses but my husband can't remember them.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,kata
Date: 02 Aug 08 - 12:09 PM

I learned it

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose
Will I ever see thee wed
I will marry at thy will
Sire at thy will

Ding dong, ding dong
Wedding bells on a september morning
Carve thy name on a moss covered stone
On a moss covered stone

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Aug 08 - 08:46 AM

this is just how i know it.

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose,
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at that I will.
That I will.

Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong.
Wedding bells on an April morn.
Carve your name on a moss covered stone,
A moss covered stone.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Marymac90
Date: 04 Aug 08 - 02:33 PM

Stormi Night, you are the only one to have a version close
to the one I learned from the activists I hung around with
in the 70's and 80's. I don't know if that's a regional
thing or what? It went:

Love, love, love, love
People, we were made for love
Love each other as ourselves
For we are one

Marymac

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Shay
Date: 07 Nov 08 - 06:04 PM

I only learned two verses, but at camp, we learned it like this:

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose,
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will,
Sire, at thy will.

Ding, dong, ding, dong,
Wedding bells on a September morn.
Carve thy name on a moss covered stone,
On a moss covered stone.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,buck 'beau' blake
Date: 22 Apr 09 - 07:04 PM

rose, rose, rose red,
shall i ever see thee wed?
ah, marry that i shall,
when thou are dead

it rhymes and everything, unlik those other sorry excuses.
there's some kind of othere, higher, melody which is sung over it, i can't recall the words now.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Jun 09 - 02:28 PM

There's another verse I came across.

Rose, Rose, Rose, white,
Will you be my love tonight?
I will love thee at thy will, sire,
at thy will.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,kait
Date: 11 Aug 09 - 01:36 AM

my friend taught me that version of the song when we were in elementary school together in germany. those are the lyrics i learned.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Sara
Date: 07 Oct 09 - 04:31 PM

A version I learnt in Drama was: Rose, rose, rose, red Shall I ever see thee wed? I will marry when thou wilt When thou art dead.

Also, I love Emilie Autumn's version ('Rose Red') Anyone know it? (:

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Juanita
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 03:05 AM

I know it as:

Rose, rose, rose, rose
When will I see the red?
I'll marry, art thou wilt
When thou art dead

Rose, rose, rose, rose,
When will I see thee dead?
I'll marry, art thou wilt
When thou art dead.

Its apparently about the war between the Red roses, and the white roses in the Dark Ages.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Rai
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 04:19 PM

One verse that I learned that has appeared here only as a slight variant is this:

Ding-dong, Ding-dong
Funeral bells on a September morn
Rose's roses are dead and gone, sire
Dead and gone

Also, I don't know if this was from another song and my friends just threw it in there, but after the verse with the moss-covered stone, we would sing:

The wind in the willows blows like a solitary song
The wind in the willows blows like a solitary so-o-ong

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Inscrutable Ted
Date: 05 Dec 09 - 09:26 PM

The version I learnt in high school drama class was:

Rose, rose, rose, red
Will I ever see thee wed?
Aye, marry, that thou wilt
When I am dead

It was explained to us that the word "marry" in the third line is the archaic interjection meaning "indeed!" and, confusingly, has nothing to do with "marry" in the sense of marriage (though the rest of the song is about that).

We were told the song was about a woman refusing to get married, and she's saying the only time she'll be "married" is when she's dead, which she sees as being married to death.

I learn this version in Queensland, Australia.

By the way, I'm finding all these subtle variations of the song fascinating. It's amazing how much the meaning can change with just a few changed words, or by substituting homophones.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Dec 09 - 01:12 AM

rose rose rose rose,                                                 will i ever see thee wed,                                              I shall marry at thy will,                                           sire at thy will                                       

thou poor bird where art thou,                                     flying in the shadows at this                                        late hour

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,sarah
Date: 22 Mar 10 - 05:12 PM

we used this to warm up our vocals.... in drama class xx

Rose, Rose, Rose, rose,
Will you be my love tonight?
I will love thee at thy will,
I will love thee.

rose,rose,rose,rose rose
shall i ever see thee wed
i marry at thou will
when thou art dead.

rose,rose,rose,rose
shall i ever see thee wed
i marry at thou will
when thou art dead.....

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Phoenix
Date: 01 Apr 10 - 11:46 PM

The version I have learned tells a story. Obviously there are variations available:

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose
Shall I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will,
sire, at thy will.

I won't be my father's Jack
I won't be my mother's Jill
I will be a fiddler's wife
And fiddle where I will

Ding dong, ding dong,
Wedding bells on an April morn.
Carve her name on a moss-covered stone,
On a moss-covered stone.

Come, come, come everyone,
Join us in our happy home.
Come celebrate the birth of our son,
Our first-born son.

Gloom, gloom, sadness and doom,
My Rose fell ill at the harvest moon.
Chills and fever tortured her so.
Lord why my Rose...

Ding dong, ding dong,
Funeral bells on a September morn,
Rose my love is dead and gone,
sire, dead and gone.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Jack Campin
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 08:54 PM

Emilie Autumn version with displayed lyrics

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Megan
Date: 02 May 10 - 02:47 PM

We did it like this in my musical theatre group:

Rose, rose, rose red
Shall I ever see thee wed?
I marry at thy will, sire
At thy will

The wind in the willows
Sighing like the solitary soul alone
The wind in the willows
Sighing like the solitary soul alone

Black birds wings
Take thy flight
High above the sorrow
Of this black night

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Jul 10 - 01:03 PM

Rose, rose, rose, rose
Will I ever see thee wed?
I'll marry, yes I will
When thou art dead.

This is the version that's banging around in Tasmania at the moment. I remember that I learnt it differently about ten years ago, but for the life of me can't remember the differences....

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,elmo
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 08:06 PM

The version i learned at girl scout camp was: Rose, Rose, Rose Red will I ever see thee wed? I will marry at thy wil, sire. At thy will

Ding dong, ding dong Wdding bells ring on an April morning. Carve thy name on a moss covered stone On a mosss covered stone

Hey, Ho nobody's home Eat, nor drink, nor money have i none But still I will be married Hey ho nobody"s home

Ding dong ding dong Church bells ring on a december morning Rose, rose, rose is dead and gone my love dead and gone.

Mother father dig my grave. Dig it with a golden spade Bring some friends and a mourning dove to show i died for love

Ah poor bird take thy flight high abover the sorrows Of this dark night

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Guest Z
Date: 06 Oct 10 - 05:20 PM

I know a version from my acting group that goes like this:

Rose, rose, rose, rose
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will
Sire, at thy will

Ding Dong Ding Dong
Wedding Bells on a September morning
Carve your name in a moss-covered stone
in a moss covered stone

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,KT
Date: 28 Oct 10 - 01:33 PM

has anyone else heard another verse?

America, America
Let me tell you how I feel
you have given me your treasure
And I love you still?

It was the 3rd verse in a version I heard after the standard "rose" verse, then "ding dong".

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Nov 10 - 06:51 PM

I have been trying to work out what the words are top this song as we sing it every year at school, but even though I have asked the teachers no one seems to know the words. We sing the first verse

Rose, rose, rose, rose
Shall I ever see thee red (wed?)
I'll marry at thy will (that I will?)
If thou does stay (say?)

and we just repeat it but some of the other verses are really beautiful. Dose anyone know where I can get a recording of it?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Dec 10 - 08:40 PM

rose,rose,rose,rose will i ever see thee wed i will marry at thy will sire at thy will

aw poor bird take thy flight fly high above the rocks and trees on this sad night

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Dec 10 - 01:43 AM

The version I know is Rose, Love, and then the America verse but we sing it

America America
Let me tell you how I feel
You have given all your treasures
I love you still

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 09:53 PM

The version I learned in Girl Scouts in the 60s & 70s is:

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose,
Shall I ever see the wed?
I will marry at thy will,
Sire, at thy will.

America, America,
Shall I tell you how I feel?
You have set me free;
I love you so.

We would sing it as a round.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Mar 11 - 08:32 PM

I was taught it to be this,
Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose..
Will I ever see thy red?
I will marry by thy will sign..
By thy will sign...
Carve my name in a moss covered ro-ck
Moss covered rock...

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Jun 11 - 10:50 AM

The one i heard went like this:

Rose rose rose rose

will i ever see thee wed

I will marry at thy will sire

at thy will

When i meet the man i love

and he wants to marry me

I will marry at the temple

for eternity

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 03:03 PM

I used to sing this sing in Camp Sherman at GS camp. Anyone found the tune?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 03:14 PM

When I was with the original Notts Alliance group, then residents of the NTMC,we used to sing this as
             Rose, Rose, Rose Rose
             Shall I ever see thee wed?
             Aye, marry, that thou may
             If thou but stay.


   We also sang
                Hey Ho, nobody at home
                Meat nor drink nor money have I none
                Yet will I be merry.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 03:19 PM

A tune on youtube.
Several.
try: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BNQSqq0ICI

Seek and ye shall find.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Holly F
Date: 31 Aug 11 - 10:46 AM

I was taught this at a drama workshop
Rose Rose Rose, Red
Will I ever see the wed?
I marry that thou wilst,
When I am dead.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Lorelei
Date: 14 Nov 11 - 05:19 PM

"Rose, Rose, Rose Red,
Will I ever see thee wed?"
I will marry at my will, sire,
At my will.

Ding dong, ding dong,
Wedding bells on an April morn',
Carve thy name on a moss covered stone
On a moss covered stone.

Peace, peace, peace, peace,
Wars will come and wars will go,
I will wait for you 'til the end,
Peace, peace, peace.

Mother, Father, dig my grave,
Dig it with a golden spade,
Bring some friends and a turtle dove
To show that I died for love.,
To show that I died for love...

I learned the song as a story about a girl who, despite the traditions of her time, decides to marry the man of her choosing, knowing that it is best to marry for love, (the first stanza sort of acting like a conversation she has with her father or someone wondering why she is not married yet. She finally finds love, and marries, but shortly after her husband must leave for war, and they promise to wait for each other until he comes home.

The last stanza can go two ways: The first is that it is sung by the man who went off to war but ends up dying, having gone off to war in order to protect his love. The other way is that the girl finds out that her husband died in the war, and she herself dies of heartbreak/kills herself, and they are buried together.

Of course this is just one interpretation of the song, and only a few of the many verses that have been added over the years.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Dec 11 - 11:25 PM

I heard the song was about the Rose wars

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,GS
Date: 15 Jan 12 - 08:19 PM

I learned this from girl scout camp:

Rose rose rose rose
will I ever see thee wed
I will marry at thy will, sire,
at thy will.

Ding dong ding dong
wedding bells on a April morn
crave thy name on a moss covered stone
on a moss covered stone.

Hey ho nobody home
meat nor drink nor money have we none
still I will be very very merry
hay ho nobody home

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 02:38 PM

does anyone know the sign language to this song? We learned it in GS camp but cannot remember. I want to teach it to my troop.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Belinda
Date: 20 Oct 12 - 02:47 AM

We were taught
Will I ever see thee red (the girl was talking to a rose)
I will marry at thy wilt (when it wilted she would marry against her will)

And she was talking about her moss covered grave stone

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Ninjaneon1434
Date: 05 Apr 13 - 07:15 PM

Rose rose rose rose
                      shall I ever see thee wed
             I shall marry at thy will sire at thy will.

                        Now I walk in beauty
                         beauty is before me
                        beauty is behind me
                         above and below me

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Lavengro
Date: 06 Apr 13 - 10:40 AM

This is an example of a medieval English song that has not survived the translation into American English.

Rose, rose, rose, rose
Shall I ever see thee red
Aye, marry, that thou wilt,
An thou but stay.

Aye means 'yes' and at the time of the Wars of the Roses, when the red rose represented the royal house of Lancaster and the white rose was York, 'marry' meant 'certainly' and 'an' was 'if.'
In modern English, then, the last two lines mean 'Yes, certainly you will, if you only stay.'
The song was probably meant to echo the words of a Lancastrian Tudor when the Yorkists were in power.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 06 Apr 13 - 11:43 AM

"The truth is no one has found this rhyme in print pre-dating the 20th century."
This was posted in another ("Origins") of the (too many) threads on this round, aand no one has found evidence to dispute that statement.


I still like the one I posted in the "origins" thread:

Rose, rose, rose, rose,
Don't never say dese and dose.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Jordan
Date: 27 May 15 - 12:48 PM

I have loved this song ever since I can remember. I've compiled all the verses that I know, and added some of the ones I've read in the past threads. It tells a story, a very sad story, and I had to write my own verse to fill a hole I had. Hope you enjoy.

Rose, A Compilation by Jordan Callahan (2015)

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose
Shall I ever see thee wed?
I shall marry at thy will, sire,
At thy will…

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose
Will I ever see thee wed?
I marry that you may,
If thou wilt stay…

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose
Wilt thou never marry me?
Ah, marry that I will,
If thou but stay…

Ding dong, ding dong
Wedding bells on an April morn
Carve your name on a moss-covered stone,
On a moss-covered stone…

Come, come, come everyone
Join us in our happy home
Come celebrate the birth of our son,
Our first-born son…

Drums, horns, and rifle shots
Our son joins the hard-fought war
Thy brave deeds has led to the grave,
Has led to the grave…

Peace, peace, peace peace
Was will end and wars will begin
I will never fight again,
Never again…

Ah poor bird
Why are thou
Singing in the shadows
At this late hour?

Gloom, gloom, sadness and doom
My Rose fell ill at the Harvest Moon
Chills and fever tortured her so,
Lord, why my Rose?

Ding dong, ding dong
Funeral bells on a September morn
Rose, oh Rose, is dead and gone, sire,
Dead and gone…

Ah poor bird
Take thy flight
High above the sorrows
Of this sad night…

Hey, ho, nobody's home
Meat nor drink nor money have I none
Still I will be very, very merry,
Hey, ho, nobody's home…

Mother, Father, dig my grave
Dig it with a golden spade
Bring some friends and a mourning dove
To show I died for love…

The wind in the willows
Sighing like a solitary soul alone
The wind in the willows
Sighing like a solitary soul alone…

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose
Shall I ever see thee wed?
I shall marry at thy will, sire
At thy will…

All rights reserved.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Person
Date: 11 Jul 15 - 09:14 PM

This is how I learned it at girl scouts...

Rose rose rose rose
will I ever see thee red?
I shall marry at thy will sire
At thy will

Ding Dong Ding Dong
Wedding bells on a September morn
Carve your name on a moss covered stone
on a moss covered stone...

(It sounds beautiful when you sing it in rounds) ;)

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Oct 15 - 07:12 AM

There is a 14th century version from Bodley MS Rawlinson D. 913, fol. 1v, item 10, Index 194, as included in "English Lyrics Before 1500," ed. Theodore Silverstein (which you may find on google books, lyric 61). Although there is no tune indicated in this book, I learned it by the Rose Round melody, and it tracks perfectly. The lyrical similarity is obvious, although it has your classic medieval double entendre. The lyrics are:

Al nist by the rose, rose
Al nist by the rose I lay,
Darf ich noust the rose stele
Yet ich bar the flour away.

Pronounced:
All nisht by the rose-e, rose-e,
All nisht by the rose ee lay,
Darf icgh (back of the throat sound) noosht the rose-e shtell-e,
Yet icgh barr the flooer away.

Meaning:
All night by the rose, rose
All night by the rose I lay,
I dared not to steal the rose,
Yet I bore the flower away.

That is; the (male) singer lay all night by the rose (pretty young lady) and dared not to steal her (marry her) but bore off her flower (deflowered her/took her virginity).

So, an interesting beginning for our rose round. =)

Subject: RE: Origins: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Emily
Date: 23 May 19 - 10:22 PM

The way we sang it at my old summer camp on the lake in Vermont was:


Rose, rose, rose, rose
Will I ever see the wed?
I will marry at thy will, sire,
At thy will.

Ding dong ding dong
Wedding bells in the month of May.
Carve your name on a moss covered stone,
On a moss covered stone.

Hey, ho, nobody’s home.
Meat, not drink nor money have I none.
Still I will be merry.
Hey, ho, nobody’s home.
Nobody’s home.

I noticed that nobody sang it like “wedding bells in the month of May” so I wonder how that evolved?

Subject: RE: Origins: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Apr 23 - 12:32 AM

I just composed this of what I had heard at scout camp as well as some posts listed above and some verses written by me to make it more cohesive:

Red, Rose, Rose, red,
When will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will sir,
At thy will

Hey Ho, nobody’s home,
Meat, nor drink, nor money have I none,
Still I will be married to thee
With you happily I shall be

Ding dong, ding dong,
Wedding bells on an April morn,
Carve their names in a piece of wood
To mark when times on earth were good

Come, come, come everyone,
Join us in our happy home.
Come celebrate the birth of our son,
Our first-born son.

One joyous summer spent with you,
Feelings of a life anew
Yet those eight short months have long since past
And shriveled flowers are all that last

Gloom, gloom, sadness and doom,
My Rose fell ill at the harvest moon,
Chills and fever tortured her so,
Rose my love you died too soon

Mother, Father, dig her grave,
Dig it with a golden spade,
Bring some friends and a mourning dove,
To show them that she died for love,

Dig her grave both wide and deep,
Put a marble stone at her head and feet,
In the middle put a turtledove,
To show the world that she died for love,

Ding Dong, ding dong
Funeral bells on a cold December morn,
Rose my love is dead and gone
dead and gone

Rose, Rose, Rose, Red,
When will we ever meet again?
When the nights are cold and lonely,
We shall meet again

One lone bird
Why art thou
Singing in the meadow at this dark hour


Lone black bird
Take thy flight
Fly above the sorrows of this sad night

Subject: RE: Origins: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Matthew Cullen
Date: 06 Jan 24 - 05:02 AM

I’m on the other side of the Atlantic from most people who answered.

My grandfather, who I lived with as a child for some time,
who was born at the end of the 19th C and whose
Interest was mediaeval English and German music and poetry,
Always sang it like this:

Rose, rose, rose, rose
Shall I ever see thee red
Aye, marry, that thou wilt,
An thou but stay.

An means if.
Marry does not mean marry as in wed

It’s absolutely fascinating reading how this song
Has evolved over time in the US.
And mostly based on homonyms and rhymes

Subject: RE: Origins: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Visitor Candle
Date: 18 Feb 24 - 02:52 AM

Im a girl scout, and while we never really sang this song as part of scouts activities, I read it in our troop's song book, and practiced it with some friends, and I've been obsessed with it ever since. Initially I learned it as:

Rose, Rose, Rose red
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will, sire
At thy will
-
Hey Ho, nobody home
Meat nor drink nor money have I none
Still I will be merry
Hey Ho-o, nobody home
-
Ah, poor bird
Why art tho
Flying in the shadows at this dark hour?

And then later I learned:

I wont be my father's Jack and I wont be my mother's Jill
I will be a fiddler's wife
And fiddle when I will
-
Ding dong, ding dong
wedding bells on an April's morn
Carve my name on a moss covered stone
a moss covered stone
-
Mister Moon
Why are you out so soon?
Cover your head and go back to bed
Mister Moon

Which I kinda fit into the above verses to form a story. There were a few more verses on the page, one of them a variation of the "Love" verses I've seen a few of y'all post. Another was about selling old chairs? to the tune of Hey Ho, another verse about poverty, I think. The last that I remember began with

The wind in the willows
crying like a wee bab all the time

and then ended with "The wind, the wi-ind," but searching for the middle bit is actually what led me to this page.
I think the endless variations on this song are FASCINATING and I found a lot of verses on here that I really liked and will add to my collection to fit in whenever I sing, and to teach to my friends :)