English & Other 232-A. Duke of Athol/Huntingtower
[Child's appendix to Richie Story is the Duke of Athol published by Kinloch in 1827. A more modern version, a duet titled Huntingtower, G. F. Graham's Popular Songs of Scotland, revised by J. Muir Wood, Glasgow, 1887. It's also known under the title, 'When ye gang awa, Jamie.' Several versions have been collected in the US/Canada titled, "When ye gang awa'?"]
CONTENTS:
Kittredge: The well-known song of 'Hunting-tower' ('When ye gang awa, Jamie') is founded on this ballad. It has been often printed; as, for example, in G. F. Graham's Popular Songs of Scotland, revised by J. Muir Wood, Glasgow, 1887, p. 152.
Child's Appendix: The Duke of Athol
Aytoun, II, 239, says of 'Richie Storie,' The words, recast in a romantic form and applied to a more interesting subject, have been set to music by a noble lady, and are now very popular under the title of 'Huntingtower.' The history of 'Huntingtower' is not so well known as might be expected. I have not been able to ascertain the authorship or the date of its first appearance (which was very probably in society rather than in print). 'Richie Storie' is not carried by our texts further back than 1802-3 (B, H). Kinloch published in 1827 a ballad from recitation, 'The Duke of Athol,' which is 'Huntingtower' passed through the popular mouth; for 'Huntingtower' became, and has continued to be, a favorite with the people. Christie, Traditional Ballad Airs, I, 166, says that he had often heard 'The Duke of Athol' in his early years, and he gives eight stanzas which do not differ remarkably from Kinloch's ballad.
The marks of the derivation of 'Huntingtower' are the terminations of lines 1, 2, 4 of each stanza, and substantial agreements in the last two stanzas with A, B, E 5, D, F, G 4, and with B 6, C 7, H, respectively. The name Huntingtower occurs only in B 6 of 'Richie Storie.' The author of 'Huntingtower' was no doubt possessed of a version of 'Richie Storie' which had its own peculiarities.
'Huntingtower' is too well known to require citing. It has been often printed; as, for example, in Mr. G. F. Graham's Popular Songs of Scotland, revised by J. Muir Wood, Balmoral Editiou, Glasgow, 1887, p. 152; The Songs of Scotland, the words revised by Dr. Charles Mackay, p. 5, London, Boosey & Co. (Altered by the Baroness Nairne, and very little left of it, Life and Songs of the Baroness Nairne, edited by the Rev. Charles Rogers, 1872, p. 177.) The pleasing air strongly resembles, says Mr. Wood, one in D'Urfey's Pills to Purge Melancholy, V, 42, ed. 1719.
'The Duke of Athol' may be given for the interest it has as a popular rifacimento.
The Duke of Athol
"Taken down from the recitation of an idiot boy in Wishaw;" Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 170.
1 'I am gaing awa, Jeanie,
I am gaing awa;
I am gaing ayont the saut seas,
I'm gaing sae far awa.'
2 'What will ye buy to me, Jamie?
What will ye buy to me?'
'I'll buy to you a silken plaid,
And send it wi vanitie.'
3 That's na love at a', Jamie,
That's na love at a';
All I want is love for love,
And that's the best ava.
4 'Whan will ye marry me, Jamie?
Whan will ye marry me?
Will ye tak me to your countrie,
Or will ye marry me?'
5 'How can I marry thee, Jeanie?
How can I marry thee,
Whan I've a wife and bairns three?
Twa wad na weill agree.'
6 'Wae be to your fause tongue, Jamie,
Wae be to your fause tongue;
Ye promised for to marry me,
And has a wife at hame!
7 'But if your wife wad dee, Jamie,
And sae your bairns three,
Wad ye tak me to your countrie,
Or wad ye marry me?
8 'But sin they 're all alive, Jamie,
But sin they 're all alive,
We'll tak a glass in ilka hand,
And drink, Weill may they thrive!'
9 'If my wife wad dee, Jeanie,
And sae my bairns three,
I wad tak ye to my ain countrie,
And married we wad be.'
10 'O an your head war sair, Jamie,
an your head war sair,
I 'd tak the napkin frae my neck
And tie doun your yellow hair.'
11 'I hae na wife at a', Jeanie,
I hae na wife at a';
I hae neither wife nor bairns three;
I said it to try thee.'
12 'Licht are ye to loup, Jamie,
Licht are ye to loup;
Licht are ye to loup the dyke,
Whan I maun wale a slap.'
13 'Licht am I to loup, Jeanie,
Licht am I to loup;
But the hiest dyke that we come to
I'll turn and tak you up.
14 'Blair in Athol is mine, Jeanie,
Blair in Athol is mine;
Bonnie Dunkel is whare I dwell,
And the boats o Garry's mine.
15 'Huntingtower is mine, Jeanie,
Huntingtower is mine,
Huntingtower, and bonnie Belford,
And a' Balquhither's mine.'
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HUNTINGTOWER- Grieg
When ye gang awa, Jamie,
Far across the sea, laddie;
When ye gang to Germanie,
What will you send to me laddie?
I'll send ye a braw new gown, Jeanie,
I'll send ye a braw new gown, lassie,
And it shall be o' silk and gowd,
Wi' Valenciennes set round, laddie.
That's nae gift ava', Jamie,
That's nae gift ava', laddie;
There's ne'er a gown in a' the land,
I'd like when you're awa, laddie.
When I come back again, Jeanie,
When I come back again, lassie,
I'll bring wi' me a gallant gay,
To be your ain gude man, lassie.
Be my gude man your sel', Jamie,
Be my gude man your sel', laddie;
And tak' me owre to Gemanie,
Wi' you at hame to dwell, laddie.
I dinna ken how that wad do, Jeanie,
I dinna see how that can be , lassie,
For I've a wife and bairnies three,
And I'm no sure how ye'd 'gree, lassie.
Ye should hae telt me that in time, Jamie,
Ye should hae telt me that lang syne, laddie;
For had I kent o' your fause heart,
You ne'er had gotten mine, laddie.
(*** in the first 2 lines leave out the "that" and run the "me" into the next word or you'll never scan)
Your een were like a spell, Jeanie,
Your een were like a spell, lassie,
That ilka day bewitched me sae,
I could na help my sel' lassie.
Gae back to you wife and hame, Jamie,
Gae back to your bairnies three, laddie;
And I will pray they ne'er may thole,
A broken hear like mine, laddie.
Dry that tearfu' e'e, Jeanie,
Dry that tearfu' e'e, lassie;
I've neither wife nor bairnies three,
And I'll wed nane but thee, lassie.
Think weel for fear ye rue, Jamie,
Think weel for fear ye rue, laddie;
For I ha'e neither gow'd nor land,
To be a match for you laddie.
Blair in Athol's mine, Jeanie,
Blair in Athol's mine, lassie:
St Johnston's bow'r and Hunting tow'r,
And a' that's mine is thine lassie.
(For a duet you can repeat the last verse with both singing simultaneously as follows
MALE: Blair in Athol's mine, Jeanie. FEMALE: Blair in Athol's thine, Jamie.
MALE: Blair in Athol's mine, lassie. FEMALE: Blair in Athol's thine, laddie.
BOTH: St Johnston's bow'r and Hunting tow'r,
MALE: And a' that's mine is thine, lassie. FEMALE: And a' that's thine is mine, laddie.
ava=at all (but maybe this should just be " at a' "
gowd=gold
telt=told
'gree = agree
thole=endure,
St. Johnston= Perth.
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The Popular Songs of Scotland with their appropriate melodies By George Farquhar Graham; 1887
1. Jeanie:
When ye gang awa, Jamie
Far across the sea, laddie,
When ye gang to Germanie,
What will ye send to me, laddie?
Jamie:
I'll send ye a braw new gown, Jeanie,
I'll send ye a braw new gown, lassie,
And it shall be o' silk and gowd,
Wi' Valenciennes set round, lassie.
2. Jeanie:
That's nae gift ava, Jamie,
That's nae gift ava, laddie,
There's ne'er a gown in a' the land,
I'd like when ye're awa, laddie.
Jamie:
When I come back again, Jeanie,
When I come again, lassie,
I'll bring wi' me o' gallant gay,
To be your ain gude man, lassie.
3. Jeanie:
Be my gudeman yoursel', Jamie,
Be my gudeman yoursel', laddie,
And tak' me ower to Germanie,
Wi' you at hame to dwell, laddie.
Jamie:
I dinna ken how that wad do, Jeanie,
I dinna see how that can be, lassie,
For I've a wife and bairnies three,
And I'm not sure how ye'd agree, lassie.
4. Jeanie:
Ye should hae telt me that in time, Jamie,
Ye should hae telt me that lang syne, laddie,
For had I kent o' your fause heart,
Ye ne'er had gotten mine, laddie.
Jamie:
Your een were like a spell, Jeanie,
Your een were like a spell, lassie,
That ilka day betwitch'd me sae,
I couldna help mysel', lassie.
5. Jeanie:
Gae back to your wife and hame, Jamie,
Gae back to your bairnies three, laddie,
And I will pray they ne'er may thole
A broken heart like me, laddie.
Jamie:
Dry that tearfu' e'e, Jeanie,
Dry that tearfu' e'e, lassie,
I've neither wife nor bairnies three,
And I'll wed none but thee, lassie.
6. Jeanie:
Think weel, for fear ye rue, Jamie,
Think weel, for fear ye rue, laddie;
For I have neither gowd nor lands,
To be a match for you, laddie.
Jamie:
Blair in Athol's mine, Jeanie,
Little Dunkeld is mine, lassie,
St. Johnstoun's bower, and Huntingtower,
And a' that's mine is thine lassie.
"HUNTINGTOWER." This ballad is traditional in Perthshire, and is believed to be ancient. It is not known to have been published, however, before 1827, when Kinloch gave, in his Ancient Scotch Ballads, a version of it, taken down from the recitation of an idiot boy in Wishaw. Since that time various versions have appeared, but whether they were taken down from recitation, or are merely specimens of modern work, is uncertain. One of them was written by Lady Naime, with the express intention of making the ballad agree rather better with modern notions.
The air has all the simplicity of the olden time, and may be coeval with the ballad; but it is not known to have been written down till within the last half century. There is, however, a tune in Durfey's Pills, v. 42 (Bepr. 1719), which bears so strong a resemblance to it, as to suggest the idea that it may have been the form of the melody at that time. The song there adapted to it is an Anglo-Scottish version of "Hey, Jenny, come doun to Jock," and is styled the Scotch Wedding.
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From: The Scottish Minstrel the songs of Scotland subsequent to burns with memoirs ... By rev. Charles Rogers, ll.d.f.s.a scot
There are three other versions of this song. One of these, the composition of William Reid, has been presented.. See ante, p. 48. A second, by an unknown author, is, in the two first verses, nearly the same with lue opening stanzas of Lady Nairne's version
In his ' Ancient Ballads and Songs" (Lond. 18aT. remo, p .38), Dr Thomas Lyle presents a third version which, he states, had been revised by him from an old stall copy, ascribed to Colonel James Ramsay of Stirling
A wee bit north frae yon green wood,
Whar draps the sunny showerie,
The lofty elm-trees spread their boughs,
To shade the braes o' Gowrie.
The original set of "Huntingtower," commencing,
"When ye gang awa', Jamie,
Far across the sea, laddie,
When ye gang to Germanic,
What will ye send to me, laddie,"
has long been a favourite. With no sacrifice of the original simplicity. Lady Nairne has improved the moral of the composition. In her version, Jeanie is less demonstrative in affection. Instead of pleading with her lover for his hand, she resolves to consult her parents before accepting his proposal. Jamie, too avoids practising that deception, which, though shortlived, is a prominent defect in the older ballad.
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The modern Scottish minstrel; or, The songs of Scotland of the past half ... edited by Charles Rogers
There are several other versions of this highly popular song. One of these, the composition of William Reid of Glasgow, has already been adduced. See ante, p. 157. Another, which is one of the most celebrated, in the first two verses is nearly the same with the opening stanzas of Lady Nairn's version, the sequel proceeding as follows :—
THE BONNIE LASS 0' GOWRIE.
A wee bit north frae yon green wood,
Whar draps the sunny showerie,
The lofty elm-trees spread their boughs
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To shade the braes o' Gowrie;