Fairrellater- Lewis (MS) pre1936 Hudson E
[My title, none given. From Folksong of Mississippi; Hudson, 1936, version D. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2014]
E. Fairrellater. From a copy obtained for me by Miss Annie Laurie Roberts, one of my former students, from Miss Celia Lewis, a pupil in the Pearl River County Agricultural High School, Poplarville, who stated that the song had been known by members of her family as far back as any of them could remember. Miss Lewis's manuscript copy is rather irregular. I reproduce irregularities that may be of importance-the name "Fairrellater," which Miss Lewis writes as one word (note that stanza 2 seems to justify this representation), and the irregular repetition of the third and fourth lines of certain stanzas as refrains.
1 Lord Thomas, Lord Thomas he was a brave man.
He courted the queen's daughter,
The queen only had but one only daughter,
Fairrellater her name.
2 "Lord Mother, Lord Mother, come riddle with me,
Come riddle us both at once:
Must I go marry Fairrellater fair
Or bring the brown girl home?"
3 "The brown girl she has a house and land,
Fairrellater she has none,
And I will advise you with all my heart
To bring the brown girl home,
And I will advise you with all my heart
To bring the brown girl home.
4 He dressed himself in the finest silk
And ordered his waiters in green,
And every city that he rode through
They taken him to be some king.
5 He rode till he came to Fairrellater hall,
So loud he roused at the door.
There's none so ready as Fairrellater herself
To rise and let him in.
6 "Bad news, bad news I've brought to you,
Bad news, bad news I say it is:
I came to ask you to my wedding,
And tomorrow it shall be,
I came to ask you to my wedding,
And tomorrow it shall be."
7 "Lord Mother, Lord Mother, come riddle with me,
Come riddle us both at once:
Must I go down to Lord Thomas's wedding
Or stay this day at home,
Must I go down to Lord Thomas's wedding
Or stay this day at home?"
8 "And I will advise you with all my heart
To stay this day at home,
And I will advise you with all my heart
To stay this day at home."
9 She dressed herself in the finest silk
And ordered her waiters in green,
And every city that she rode through
They taken her to be some queen,
And every city that she rode through
They taken her to be some queen.
10 She rode till she came to Lord Thomas's hall,
So loud she roused at the door.
There's none so ready as Lord Thomas himself
To rise and let her in,
There's none so ready as Lord Thomas himself
To rise and let her in.
11 He took her by her lily-white hand
And led her through the hall,
And seated her down at the head of the table
Among those ladies all,
And seated her down at the head of the table
Among those ladies all.
12 "Lord Thomas, Lord Thomas, is this your bride?
I think she looks mortiful [1] brown,
When you could have married me,
As fair a lady as ever the sun shone on,
When you could have married me,
As fair a lady as ever the sun shone on."
13 The brown girl she had a penny knife,
Both ends were keen and sharp;
She pearched [2] it through Fairellater's breast,
And through Fairellater's heart.
14 "Lord Thomas, Lord Thomas, I think it's awful sad
When I feel my own heart's blood
Come ringing to my toes'
When I feel my own heart's blood
Come ringing to my toes."
15 He took the brown girl by the hand,
He led her through the hall,
And with a bright sword cut off her head,
And stove it against the wall,
And with a bright sword cut off her head,
And stove it against the wall.
16 He turned the handle toward the wall
The point toward himself, saying,
"Here is the end of three true lovers;
Lord take them home to rest;
Here is the end of three true lovers;
Lord take them home to rest.
17 "Go dig my grave, dig it deep and wide,
And bury Fairellater in my arms
And the brown girl by my side,
And bury Fairellater in my arms
And the brown girl by my side."