Dives and Lazarus- Bud Bush (NH) 1964 M. E. Bush
[From: Folk Songs of Central West Virginia, 2 vols., Ravenswood, W.Va., 1969 and 1970, I , pp.41-44. Michael Bush's notes follow.
This is the Child A text arranged by Bud Bush. Stanza 13 has been rewritten and the penultimate stanza has been omitted. There are some other minor changes.
R. Matteson 2014]
This was sung by Bud Bush of New Hampshire at the 1964 (West Virginia) folk festival.
Dives and Lazarus- Sung by Bud Bush 1964 from text as given in Child A.
1 As it fell out upon a day,
Rich Dives he made a feast,
And he invited all his friends,
And gentry of the best.
2 And[1] Lazarus laid him down and down,
And down at Dives' door:
'Some meat and drink, brother Divorus,
Bestow upon them poor.'
3 'Thou art none of my brother, Lazarus,
That lies beggin' at my door;
No meat nor drink will I give thee,
Nor bestow upon the poor.'
4 And Lazarus laid him down and down,
And down at Dive's wall:
'Some meat and drink, brother Dives,
Or of hunger starve I shall.'
5 'Thou art none of my brother, Lazarus,
That lies begging at my wall;
No meat nor drink will I give thee,
Of hunger starve you shall.'
6 And Lazarus laid him down and down,
And down at Dive's gate:
'Some meat and drink, brother Divorus,
For Jesus Christ his sake.'
7 'Thou art none of my brother, Lazarus,
That lies beggin' at my gate;
No meat nor drink will I give thee,
For Jesus Christ, his sake.'
8 And Dives sent out his hungry dogs, [2]
To bite him as he lay;
They had the power to bite one bitel,
But licked his sores away.
9 And Dives sent out his merry men,
To worry[3] poor Lazarus away;
They had no power to strike a stroke,
But threw their whips away.
10 As it fell out upon a day,
Poor Lazarus he sickened and died;
There came two angels out of heaven
His soul therein to guide.
11 'Rise up, rise up, brother Lazarus,
And go along with me;
For you've a place prepared in heaven,
To sit on an angel's knee.'
12 And it fell out upon a day,
Rich Dives he sickened and died;
There came two serpents out of hell,
His soul therein to guide.
13 'Rise up, rise up, brother Divorus,[4]
And go along with me,
For you've a place, prepared in Hell,
To sit upon a serpent's knee.'
14 Rich Divorus he looked up,
And saw poor Lazarus blessed:
'O give me one drop of water,
To slack my flaming thirst.
15 'Would that I were alive again,
The space of one half hour.
Had I but that little time
Then the devil should have no power.'
1. Then (Bush uses "And" throughout). It seems to me that m. E. Bush has transcribed this from a recording and therefore may not have heard it correctly.
2. Stanza 8 and 9 have been reversed from Child A
3. whip
4. This stanza has been rewritten and the penultimate stanza has been omitted.