Lyr Req: Fortune My Foe

18 Oct 07 - 09:12 AM (#2173578)
Subject: Lyr Req: Fortune My Foe
From: tutti flutti

I have two verses i.e.

Fortune, my foe, why dost thou frown on me?
And will my favours never greater be?
Wilt thou, I say, forever breed me pain?
And wilt thou ne'er restore my joys again?

Fortune hath wrought me grief and great annoy;
Fortune has falsely stole my love away.
My love and joy, whose sight did make me glad;
Such great misfortunes never young man had.

But there are at least another 3 - does anyone know them, please?

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18 Oct 07 - 09:20 AM (#2173584)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fortune My Foe
From: GUEST,PMB

I've got them at home, in a book of 17th century civil war ballads. As I recall them, they are much as here.

When Daughter was about 14 and teaching herself piano, I heard this unearthly noise in the sitting room... peeped in, and there she was, carolling away, all 34 verses of The Tracgickal History of Titus Andronicus with full gory details, to this tune.

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18 Oct 07 - 09:25 AM (#2173588)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fortune My Foe
From: tutti flutti

Thank you so much for the link - brilliant.

Love the bit about your daughter singing 'Titus Andronicus' - reminded me of myself at about that age (several hundred years ago it seems now)! I couldn't find enough tragic songs to sing - do all teenagers go through this phase?

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18 Oct 07 - 02:28 PM (#2173841)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fortune My Foe
From: Malcolm Douglas

Most seem to. The 'Fortune My Foe' tune is particularly suitable, having been associated with all manner of tragic and lugubrious songs during its long life.

For a rather longer text with an identified source, see the late Bruce Olson's website: Scarce Songs 1

See also the broadside edition by Wright, Clark, Thackeray and Passinger at The Pepys Ballad Archive:

A sweet Sonnet, wherein the Lover exclaimeth against/ Fortune for the loss of his Ladies favour, almost past hope to get again, and in the end/ receives a comfortable answer, and attains his desire, as may here appear. To the Tune of Fortune my Foe.

Earlier copies haven't survived, but the original song was evidently late 16th century; 'The Life and Death of Dr Faustus,' registered in 1589, was set to the tune.

Other broadside songs set to 'Fortune My Foe' can be seen at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads:

Fortune My Foe

Beware of the entries at The Fiddler's Companion for the tune: these are confused and very misleading, relying heavily on the discredited musical historian Grattan Flood, who claimed it as Irish, on the sole ground that it was on record as having been played there in 1649/50. By then, however, it was well known in many countries; in Holland, for example, it was typically known as 'Enghelsche Fortuyne' or 'Fortuyn Anglois,' and had been in print since at least 1596. (See Claude M Simpson, The British Broadside Ballad and Its Music. New Brunswick & New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1966, 225-231).

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18 Oct 07 - 02:50 PM (#2173854)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fortune My Foe
From: tutti flutti

Malcolm:
Thank you so much for your detailed information - very much appreciated. The link to the Bruce Olson website gave me the version I was hoping to find but only half remembered.

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18 Oct 07 - 11:18 PM (#2174173)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fortune My Foe
From: George Papavgeris

Fascinating. And I so love that tune! Thanks for asking the question tutti flutti, and thank you for the answer and all the pointers Malcolm!

Is there anywhere any more info on Grattan Flood? He sounds quite the rascal!

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18 Oct 07 - 11:21 PM (#2174176)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fortune My Foe
From: George Papavgeris

Wikipedia makes no reference to his being discredited, that's why I am asking.

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19 Oct 07 - 03:00 AM (#2174219)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fortune My Foe
From: GUEST,PMB

Woollen bagpipes! I read his treatise on the bagpipe many years ago, and even to my less than sceptical mind then, it came across as a lot of special pleading that the Uilleann pipes were the ancestor of them all.

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19 Oct 07 - 04:26 AM (#2174253)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fortune My Foe
From: Malcolm Douglas

It is Grattan Flood's ventures into musical history that are the problem; for all I know, his other historical work may be perfectly ok. The trouble was that he was a devoted patriot who wanted very badly indeed for Ireland to be at the centre of European musical culture, and he devoted enormous effort into researching Irish musical history with a view to proving that it was not only that, but also the source of most of it. Unfortunately, he was quite unable to be objective, and this led to his jumping to all manner of dubious conclusions on threadbare 'evidence' and making many extravagant claims that have since proved to be entirely false.

As something of a pioneer in the field, he was taken seriously by most of his contemporaries and, as a result, mistakes and misrepresentations that he put about still turn up as 'received wisdom' in otherwise respectable reference works. He was largely responsible, for example, for the widespread modern belief that the Irish bellows-blown pipes were originally called 'uilleann' rather than 'union' pipes; extant records suggest that this was mere fantasy, but the idea has now taken root so extensively that it is too late to correct the misapprehension. The book is full of such things; I'd recommend that anyone wanting to understand better some of the myths circulating today about Irish (and other) music read his books; but with plenty of salt to hand.

He is still quoted uncritically by a lot of people who know no better (and, I suspect, by some who do) but there are so many holes in his work that really nothing he wrote on the subject can safely be believed unless it is independently confirmed by verifiable sources. Nowadays he is something of an embarrassment to serious scholars of Irish music; when his A History of Irish Music (1905; third edition, 1913) was reprinted in facsimile in 1970, Dr Seóirse Bodley began his Introduction thus:

'Perhaps the importance of Grattan Flood's "History of Irish Music" lies elsewhere than in its value as a work of reference.'

That says it all, really; but I might also quote from a review of the reprint that appeared in the Times Literary Supplement (19 February 1971):

'One is assailed by a feeling of guilt at being somewhat scornful of the tremendous amount of earnest pioneer work which Flood undertook in writing his History. The unfortunate fact remains that this is highly dangerous literature which can easily corrupt anyone who is not trained to treat every statement of fact with exteme caution.'

And

'That Grattan Flood's book should have been reprinted ... at a time when the first serious research into the subject is just being undertaken by a number of scholars seems either irresponsible, or to show a regrettable lack of awareness of this work on the part of the publishers [New York: Praeger; Shannon: Irish University Press].'

The late Bruce Olson referred more than once to 'Grattan Flood's lies'. I rather think that the man was sincere and really believed what he wrote, however unlikely it may have been; unfortunately, he is still being quoted as an authority by people who simply haven't noticed that scholarship has moved on in the intervening century. This is a perennial problem, of course, whenever traditional music is discussed; and Grattan Flood was far from being the only person whose speculations constantly return to haunt us. He has been, however, one of the greatest sources of misinformation on the subject.

It is no surprise that Wikipedia fails to mention any of this. Wikipedia itself. though it contains much of worth, is, because of the way it is set up, potentially the greatest source of misinformation available anywhere in the world just at present.

None of this has anything at all to do with 'Fortune My Foe'; but you did ask.

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19 Oct 07 - 05:08 AM (#2174282)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fortune My Foe
From: tutti flutti

Malcolm

This is fascinating stuff - and the bit about the naming of the 'uilleann' pipes priceless! If I decide that these are the pipes for me (not done enough research yet to know which pipes I want) shall I refer to them as 'union' pipes and see how people react, do you think?

I can't thank you enough for opening up a whole new area of interest for me.

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19 Oct 07 - 07:14 AM (#2174352)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fortune My Foe
From: George Papavgeris

Thanks once more Malcolm!

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22 Oct 07 - 08:32 AM (#2176332)
Subject: Lyr Add: FORTUNE MY FOE
From: Jim Dixon

This song's major claim to fame today is that Shakespeare quoted the title. Many Shakespeare commentaries quote a verse or two, which means that Google gives you a lot of disappointing hits.

The text and tune are given in Shakespeare's Songbook by Ross W. Duffin, W. W. Norton, 2004.

The spelling and punctuation are modernized in this copy, compared to the broadside, but the words are nearly identical.

FORTUNE MY FOE

The Lover's Complaint for the Loss of His Love

Fortune, my foe, why dost thou frown on me?
And will thy favours never better be?
Wilt thou, I say, for ever breed my pain?
And wilt thou not restore my joys again?

Fortune hath wrought my grief and great annoy.
Fortune hath falsely stol'n my love away,
My love and joy, whose sight did make me glad;
Such great misfortunes never young man had.

Had Fortune took my treasure and my store,
Fortune had never griev'd me half so sore,
But taking her whereon my heart did stay,
Fortune thereby hath took my life away.

Far worse than death, my life I lead in woe,
With bitter thoughts still tossed to and fro.
O cruel Chance, thou breeder of my pain,
Take life, or else restore my love again!

In vain I sigh. In vain I wail and weep.
In vain mine eyes refrain from quiet sleep.
In vain I shed my tears both night and day.
In vain my love my sorrows do bewray.

My love doth not my piteous plaint espy,
Nor feels my love what griping grief I try.
Full well may I false Fortune's deeds reprove,
Fortune that so unkindly keeps my love.

Where should I seek or search my love to find,
When Fortune fleets and wavers as the wind,
Sometimes aloft, sometimes again below?
Thus tottering Fortune tottereth to and fro.

Then will I leave my love in Fortune's hands,
My dearest love, in most unconstant bands,
And only serve the sorrows due to me.
Sorrow, hereafter thou shalt my mistress be.

And only joy, that sometimes conquers kings,
Fortune that rules on earth, and earthly things,
So that alone I live not in this woe,
For many more hath Fortune served so.

No man alive can Fortune's spite withstand
With wisdom, skill, or mighty strength of hand;
In midst of mirth, she bringeth bitter moan,
And woe to me that hath her hatred known!

If wisdom's eyes blind Fortune had but seen,
Then had my Love, my Love for ever been.
Then, love, farewell; though Fortune favour thee,
No Fortune frail shall ever conquer me.

The Lady's Comfortable and Pleasant Answer

Ah, silly soul, art thou so sore afraid?
Mourn not, my dear, nor be not so dismay'd.
Fortune cannot, with all her power and skill,
Enforce my heart to think thee any ill.

Blame not thy chance, nor envy at thy choice,
No cause thou hast to curse, but to rejoice.
Fortune shall not thy joy and love deprive,
If by my love it may remain alive.

Receive therefore thy life again to thee.
Thy life and love shall not be lost by me;
And while thy heart upon thy life do stay,
Fortune shall never steal the same away.

Live thou in bliss, and banish death to Hell.
All careful thoughts see thou from thee expel.
As thou doth wish, thy love agrees to be,
For proof whereof behold I come to thee.

In vain therefore, do neither wail nor weep.
In vain therefore, break not thy quiet sleep.
Waste not in vain thy time in sorrow so,
For why, thy love delights to ease thy woe.

Full well thy love thy privy pangs doth see,
And soon thy love will send to succour thee.
Though well thou mayest false Fortune's deeds reprove,
Yet cannot Fortune keep thee from thy love.

Nor will thy love on Fortune's back abide,
Whose fickle wheel doth often slip aside;
And never think that Fortune beareth sway,
If Virtue watch, and will not her obey.

Pluck up thy heart, suppress'd with brinish tears.
Torment me not, but take away thy fears.
Thy Mistress' mind brooks no unconstant bands,
Much less to live in ruling Fortune's hands.

Though mighty kings by Fortune get the foil,
Losing thereby their travel and their toil,
Though Fortune be to them a cruel foe,
Fortune shall not make me to serve thee so.

For Fortune's spite thou need'st not care a pin,
For thou thereby shall never lose nor win.
If faithful love and favour I do find,
My recompense shall not remain behind.

Die not in fear, nor live in discontent.
Be thou not slain, where never blood was meant.
Revive again. To faint thou hast no need.
The less afraid, the better thou shalt speed.

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