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Journal of the Irish Folk Song Society, Volume 1, Issue 1, Page 28

Journal of the Irish Folk Song Society, Volume 1, Issue 1, Page 28
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periodical Publisher
Irish Folk Song Society
periodical Editor
[Periodical]
periodical Title
Journal of the Irish Folk Song Society
volume Number
1
issue Content
4248THE DARK-EYED GIPSY 0!(Sung to me in 1899 by Katherine Young, a native of Co. Down; the complete versionobtained in 1904 from Ann Carter [ aged 64], a native of Co. Gaiway. She had heardthis sung in her youth.)I riIL4c i Ij iii -frSThere was three gipsies in the East,They sang so sweet and bonny 0!They sang so sweet, so very, very sweet,They charmed the heart of a Ladye 0!When Lord Charles came home at night,1n uiring for his Ladye 0!Shes gone! shes gone! said his oldservin man; Shes followed the dark-eyed gipsy 0 !Saddle me my milk-white steed;The grey was neer so speedy 0!And Ill travel all night, through the lengthof the night,Till I find out the dark-eyed gipsy 0!He travelled East, he travelled West,He travelled North and Southward 0!Until he met with an old beggar man,Who was both wet and weary 0!Where have you been, my good old man?Where have you been so early 0?And have you seen a fair LadyeFollowing a dark-eyed gipsy 0?I have been in East, Fve been in West,I have been in North and Southward 0!The fairest Ladye that eer my eyes beheldWas following the dark-eyed gipsy 01Then these three gipsies wereut in jail,Bound down in iron strongly 0!And next they were condemned for to die,For stealing of this Ladye 0!He travelled East, he travelled West,He travelled North and Southwards 0,Until he came to his fair Ladye,A-following the dark-eyed gipsy 0!He drew out his lightning sword,That showed most bright and bonny 0!Ill swear by the handle of my broad swordThat no dark-eyed gipsy will come nearyou 0!Come back with me, my dear, he says;Come back with me, my honey 0!Ill swear by the handle of my broad sword,No dark-eyed gipsy will come near you 0!Why did you leave your houses and lands?Why did you leave your children 0?Why did you leave your own wedded lordTo follow the dark-eyed gipsy 0?What do I care for my houses and lands?And what do I care for my children 0?I will eat the grass and drink the dew,And follow the dark-eyed gipsy 01He pulled out his lightning sword,It shone so bright and bonny 0!Be fought like a hero among them all,Till he wounded the seven yellow gipsies 0.S.SS.OSIn looking over my note-book some time ago I came aeross the ballad of TheOld Man in the Wood, which had been repeated to me by Maud Rennie, a native ofCounty Sligo, in the year 1899; she was then a woman of about fifty years of age,and she had heard it in her childhood in her native county. It struck me at thetime that it must be the Irish version of the well-known ballad, John Greemlie,which has been issued in many editions of Scotch folk songs. In an old edition ofScotch songs I found the ballad, John Grumlie, given, and with it a note by theEditor which read: This ballad is a modernized version of the still older ballad,The Wife of Anchter Mszchtt,.I contributed the ballad of The Old Man in the Wood to the llomestead ofJune 18th, 1908. and I was interested to receive almost immediately a letter fromMrs. F. Sotheby, of Wareham, in reference to it. She wrote me that she had heard thesame version in Norfolk, and gave me the last verse of the ballad.Some months later Mrs. Sotheby again wrote to me that she had madeenquiries about the Norfolk version, and found to her surprise that the narratorknew nothing of its origin in that part of the country, and thought it highlypossible that it was handed down from her grandmother, who lived in Ireland.Mrs. Sotheby also mentioned that a reference was made to this ballad inVolume 1. of the last part of Miss Edgeworths Harry and Lucy, and this I lookedup. It is a reference to the name only (no verses are quoted), but still it is a proofthat the ballad was known in the Edgeworth country. In the month of July of thisyear the ballad was quoted to me in full by Ann Carter, referred to before, and Mrs.Milligan Fox has recorded the air to which it was sung.THE OLD MAN IN THE WOOD.(First heard from Maud Rennie in 1899; last verse given by Mrs. Sotbeby in 1908, andheard in full from Ann Carter, 1904.)ha ___________________________T I T LI 1i Ji L rn j h . 1-.- . -r- .3- ..I .;. .9 &.-p. -I-V
issue Number
1
page Number
28
periodical Author
[Periodical]
issue Publication Date
1967-01-01T00:00:00
allowedRoles
anonymous,guest,friend,member

Journal of the Irish Folk Song Society, Volume 1, Issue 1

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