Lyr ADD: Cyril Tawney's The Tasks (Child # 2)

Subject: Lyr Add THE TASKS (Cyril Tawney - Child # 2)
From: Roberto
Date: 31 Oct 04 - 12:30 PM

The Tasks (Child #2)
Cyril Tawney, The Outlandish Knight, Folk Songs from Devon And Cornwall, Polydor 236 577, 1969

A need someone to corret this transcription. The main problem is the chorus: I get it as "And every leaf grows many in time", but I'd like to be sure. The other two doubts are at stanza 9 and 10. Here is what CYril Tawney wrote about this version: A composite version of "The Elfin Knight" taken from the Baring-Could manuscripts. With the exception of two verses from John Hext of Postbridge, Devon (October 1890), all the "ingredients" come from West of the Tamar. An unknown source from the Camelford district supplied Baring-Gould with all the other verses and I have used the refrain sung to him by foseph Dyer of Mawgan-In-Pyder, together with Dyer's tune. Baring-Gould was told that in Cornwall this used to be sung as a sort of game in farm-houses, between a young man who went outside the room, a girl who sat on a chair and a chorus of farm lads and lasses. The man re-entered and addressed the girl with the first half of the ballad and she replied with the second half. Known as "Whittingham Fair" in Northumberland and "Scarborough Fair" in Yorkshire, a chocolate-boxy version of the latter being very popular with modern folk-singers.

Thou must buy me, my lady, a cambric shirt
And every leaf grows many in time
And stitch it without any needle-work
Oh, and then you shall be a true lover of mine

And thou must wash it in yonder well
And every leaf grows many in time
Where never a drop of water fell
Oh, and then you shall be a true lover of mine

And thou must hang it upon a white thorn
And every leaf grows many in time
That never has blossomed since Adam was born
Oh, and then you shall be a true lover of mine

And you must bleach it on yonder grass
And every leaf grows many in time
Where never a foot nor a hoof did pass
Oh, and then you shall be a true lover of mine

And when these tasks are finished and done
And every leaf grows many in time
I'll take thee and marry thee under the sun
Oh, and then you shall be a true lover of mine

Or ever I do these two and three
And every leaf grows many in time
I will set off asks as many to thee
Oh, and then you shall be a true lover of mine

Thou must buy for me an acre of land
And every leaf grows many in time
Between the salt sea and the yellow sand
Oh, and then you shall be a true lover of mine

Thou must plough it o'er with a horse's horn
And every leaf grows many in time
And sow it over with one pepper corn
Oh, and then you shall be a true lover of mine

Thou must reap it to (?)with a piece of leather
And every leaf grows many in time
And bind it all up with a peacock's feather
Oh, and then you shall be a true lover of mine

And thou must thrash it in yonder barn
And every leaf grows many in time
That hangs to the sky (?) by a thread of yarn
Oh, and then you shall be a true lover of mine

And when these tasks are finished and done
And every leaf grows many in time
Oh then I will marry thee under the sun
Oh, and then you shall be a true lover of mine

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cyril Tawney's The Tasks (Child # 2)
From: Gurney
Date: 01 Nov 04 - 04:28 AM

Just played it, on my ghetto blaster,(it plays LPs!!) and it sounds exactly as you wrote, to me, except for the 5th verse. The third line 'I will set off asks...' sounds like a fumble to me. Maybe it should be 'I will set tasks as many....' This is just an opinion based on nothing but my ears, but I once was very familiar with Cyril's voice. Cyril is a supportive bloke, but he's sick at the moment.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cyril Tawney's The Tasks (Child # 2)
From: Anglo
Date: 01 Nov 04 - 10:59 AM

I don't have the recording to hand, unfortunately. Bronson gives two versions with text from the B-G mss., very similar to the one above. The second line (refrain) is given as:

While every grove rings with a merrry antine.*

*antienne = antiphon (Baring-Gould).

Personally, I find that a bit of a stretch.

The texts are identical for the first 7 verses, which leads one to suppose an editorial hand in his manuscripts as well as in his publications.

Sharp has a version from Gilbert, another west-country source I think, (also in Bronson, just after the first of these B-G examples) with "Every leaf grows many a time." I would guess Cyril saw that and interpolated it as making a bit more sense. Irish and new world versions often have "Every rose grows merrry in time."

Hope this helps.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cyril Tawney's The Tasks (Child # 2)
From: Anglo
Date: 01 Nov 04 - 11:54 AM

Oh, and the line in v. 6 (as printed) is:

"I will set of tasks..."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cyril Tawney's The Tasks (Child # 2)
From: Roberto
Date: 01 Nov 04 - 02:16 PM

Thank you very much, Anglo, and thank you Gurney. "asks" instead of "tasks" was a printing error. Roberto

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cyril Tawney's The Tasks (Child # 2)
From: Snuffy
Date: 01 Nov 04 - 07:15 PM

Sounds like a corruption/degradation of rosemary and thyme to me. Or is that too easy?