Lyr Add: The Old Musician and his Harp

Subject: Lyr Add: The Old Musician and his Harp
From: harpgirl
Date: 30 Aug 04 - 02:35 PM

The Old Musician and His Harp

Years have come and passed away;
Golden locks have turned to gray;
Golden ringlets once so fair
Time has changed to silvery hair.
Yes, I've neared the river side
Soon I'll launch upon its tide-
Soon my boat with noiseless oar
Safe will pass to yonder shore.

Chorus
Bring my harp to me again;
Let me sing a gentle strain-
Let me hear its chords once more
Ere I pass to yon bright shore.

Oh! those chords, with magic power,
Take me back to childhood's hour,
To that cot beside the sea
Where I knelt at mother's knee.
But that mother, she has gone;
Calm she sleeps beneath the stone
While I wander here alone
Sighing for a brighter home.

Chorus

Soon I'll be among the blest,
Where the weary are at rest;
Soon I'll tread the golden shore
Singing praises evermore.
Now my boat is on the stream;
I can see its water's gleam;
Soon I'll be where angels roam-
Dear old Harp, I'm going home.

Chorus


I got this from the cyberpluckers list

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/byronhoyt/Doc?id=10030416

Subject: Lyr Add: DAFYDD Y GARREG WEN (Ceiriog Hughes)
From: Helen
Date: 30 Aug 04 - 07:04 PM

A similar song is
Dafydd y Garreg Wen [David of the White Rock] and it has a lovely melody too - one of my favourites. You can hear the melody at that site as well.

Original Welsh by Ceiriog Hughes

1. "Cariwch," medd Dafydd,
"fy nhelyn i mi,
Ceisiaf cyn marw
roi tôn arni hi.
Codwch fy nwylaw
i gyrhaedd y tant;
Duw a'ch bendithio
fy ngweddw a'm plant!"

2. "Neithiwr mi glywais
lais angel fel hyn:
'Dafydd, tyrd adref,
a chwarae trwy'r glyn!'
Delyn fy mebyd,
ffarwel i dy dant!
Duw a'ch bendithio
fy ngweddw a'm plant!"
                
-

"Bring me my harp,"
was David's sad sigh,
"I would play
one more tune before I die.
Help me, dear wife,
put the hands to the strings,
I wish my loved ones
the blessing God brings."

"Last night an angel
called with heaven's breath:
David, play, and come
through the gates of death!
Farewell, faithful harp,
farewell to your strings,
I wish my loved ones
the blessing God brings."

"The Welsh tradition is, that a Bard who lay on his death bed, called for his harp and played the above air, requesting at the same time, that it might be performed at his funeral" --- and it was accordingly played on the harp, at the Parish church of Ynys Cynhaiarn; in which parish the house called "Careg-Wen" in Carnarvonshire is situated. J. Parry's "Welsh Harper"

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Old Musician and his Harp
From: Helen
Date: 30 Aug 04 - 07:14 PM

Another of my favourite tunes is Carolan's Farewell to Music

I don't think it has lyrics, and you can hear the tune on that site. This is what Lesley Nelson-Burns says about it:

    * Carolan, sensing the end was near, traveled back to Mrs. MacDermott. "I have come here after all I have gone through, to die at home at last, where I got my first schooling and my first horse." he said (Mundey-O'Reilling manuscript pp 147--149 quoted in O'Neill p 100). He retired to bed, eventually too weak even to raise himself up after falling out of bed. After falling out of his bed Carolan said, "I would not be surprised at a man falling when walking, but it is a great surprise for a man to fall when lying down." Toward the end Carolan woke from sleep and asked the butler, William Flynn for a drink. After drinking he spoke:
            I duly travelled round through Conn's territory
            And I found (?) mighty and vigorous there.
            By my baptism, for dispensing [drink] I never found
            One who quenched my thirst aright but William Flynn.

      They were the last words Carolan spoke. He died Saturday, March 25, 1738 at the age of 68, and was buried in the O'Duigenans' church of Kilronan.