Captain Wedderburn's Courtship- (Mass.) 1908
[Not a local title, from Barry. From: Irish Folk-Song by Phillips Barry; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 24, No. 93 (Jul. - Sep., 1911), pp. 332-343. This version has been reprinted as Version C in British Ballads from Maine, 1929. From Bronson we get the full name of the informant Elizabeth A. Smith. Barry contends that US version originate from Ireland.
R. Matteson 2014]
2. CAPTAIN WEDDERBURN'S COURTSHIP (Child, 46)- Sung by Elizabeth A. Smith, before 1908.
Oh, what is round-er than the ring, What's high - er than the
tree, What is worse than wom-an- kind, What's deep-er than the
sea? The globe is round-er than the ring, Heaven's high-er than the
tree, The dev - il's worse than wom - an - kind, Hell'sdeep - er than the sea.
So you and I in one bed lie, And you'll lie next the wall.
I. A Gentleman's fair daughter walked down yon narrow lane,
She met with William Dixon, the keeper of the game,
"It's go away, young man," she said, "and do not me perplex,
. . . . . .
2. ". . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
Three questions you must answer me,
Before you lie in my bed, at either stock or wall!"
3. "What is rounder than the ring, what's higher than the tree,
What is worse than womankind, what's deeper than the sea?"
"The globe is rounder than a ring, Heaven's higher than the tree,
The devil's worse than womankind, Hell's deeper than the sea!"
4. ". . . . . .
. . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
So you and I in one bed lie, and you'll lie next the wall!"
5. "What bird sings best, what flower blooms first, and where the dew first falls?
Before I lie one night with you, at either stock or wall!"
"The thrush sings best, the heath blooms first, and there the dew first falls,
So you and I in one bed lie, and you'll lie next the wall!"
6. "For my breakfast you must get me a bird without a bone,
The cherry without a stone, the bird without a gall,
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
7. "The dove it is a gentle bird, it flies without a gall,
When the cherry is in the blossom, I'm sure it has no stone,
When the bird is in the egg, I'm sure it has no bone,
So you and I in one bed lie and you'll lie next the wall!"
8. "You must get to me some winter fruit that in December grew,
You must get to me a silk mantle that weft did ne'er go through, -
A priest unborn, to make us both in one,
Before I lie one night with you, at either stock or wall!"
9. "My father has some winter fruit that in December grew,
My mother has a silk mantle that weft did ne'er go through,
Melchisedek's a priest unborn, and he'll make us both in one,
So you and I in one bed lie, and you'll lie next the wall!" [1]
Two melodies to "Captain Wedderburn's Courtship" may be found in the Petrie Collection.[2] A charming air recorded by Dr.
Hudson further attests the acquaintance of Irish singers with this ballad. [3]
Footnotes:
1. "Captain Wedderburn's Courtship," A, Folk-Songs of the North Atlantic States. Words and melody recorded as sung by E. A. S., Boston, Mass., native of County Down, Ireland. The singer prefers the arrangement of partial melodies as here printed, allowing for the repetition as a common refrain, of the line " So you and I in one bed lie, and you'll lie next the wall."
2 Petrie, Nos. 777, 778.
3 The theme is an ancient one. Pelops and David are among the literary forebears of William Dixon.