A True Lover of Mine- (BC) 1920 Fowke

A True Lover of Mine- (BC) 1920 Fowke; Bronson 32

[From Barbeau, Lismer, and Bourinot, 1947, p. 33.  Also in Fowke and Johnston, 1954, pp. 138-39.  From Hazleton, British Columbia, 1920.

R. Matteson 2014]

 

A True Lover of Mine

Pray, can you buy me an acre or more,
Savory, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Bet-ween the wide ocean and the sea shore,
And then can you be a true lover of mine.

Pray, can you plough it with one ram's horn,
And sow it all over with one pepper corn?

Pray, can you reap it with a sickle of leather,
And tie it all up with one peacock's feather?

Now, you have asked me of these questions three,
It is my turn to ask three of thee.

Pray, can you make me a fine cambric shirt,
Without any seam and all needle work?

Pray, in your brook, can you wash it and wade,
Where water ne'er flowed since earth it was made?

Pray, can you dry it on yonder sweet thorn,
Where blossoms ne'er bloomed since Adam was born?

----------------------------

X:32
T:A True Lover of Mine
T:The Elfin Knight
B:Bronson
C:Trad
O:Barbeau, Lismer, and Bourinot, 1947, p. 33.  Also in Fowke
O:and Johnston, 1954, pp. 138-39.  From Hazleton, British Columbia, 1920
N:Child 2
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:G
z2 z | GBc c2 d| BAA ABA |
w:Pray, can you buy me an a-*cre or-
G2 GeBd | g2 f ede | d2 d def |
w:more, Sav-*o-ry, sage, rose-ma-ry and thyme, Bet-ween the wide
g2 B cde | d2 G BcB | dBB AGA | G3 |]
w:oc-ean and the sea shore, And then can you be a true lov-er of mine.
W:
W:Pray, can you buy me an acre or more,
W:Savory, sage, rosemary and thyme,
W:Between the wide ocean and the sea shore,
W:And then can you be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:Pray, can you plough it with one ram's horn, . . .
W:And sow it all over with one pepper corn? . . .
W:
W:Pray, can you reap it with a sickle of leather, . . .
W:And tie it all up with one peacock's feather? . . .
W:
W:ÑNow, you have asked me of these questions three . . .
W:It is my turn to ask three of thee . . .
W:
W:Pray, can you make me a fine cambric shirt . . .
W:Without any seam and all needle work? . . .
W:
W:Pray, in your brook, can you wash it and wade . . .
W:Where water ne'er flowed since earth it was made? . . .
W:
W:Pray, can you dry it on yonder sweet thorn . . .
W:Where blossoms ne'er bloomed since Adam was born? . . .