Lord Batesman- Wyman/Brockway (KY) 1916
[From Lonesome Tunes: Folk songs from the Kentucky Mountains, Volume 1 edited by Loraine Wyman, Howard Brockway 1916; The Words collected by LORAINE WYMAN The Turkish Lady; Melody collected and (Letcher County, Kentucky) Pianoforte accompaniment by HOWARD BROCKWAY.
R. Matteson 2014]
Lord Batesman or The Turkish Lady
I. There was a man who lived in England,
Who was of some high degree;
He became uneasily discontented,
Some foreign land, some lands to see.
II. He sailed east and ho sailed west,
He sailed all over the Turkish shore,
Till he was caught and put in prison
Never to be released any more.
III. The Turk he had but the one lone daughter,
The fairest my eyes did ever see,
She stole the keys from her father's dwelling
And declared Lord Batesman she'd set free.
IV. She led him down to the lower cellar
And drew him a drink of the strongest wine,
Saying, "Every moment seems an hour
O Lord Batesman if you were mine."
V. "Let's make a vow, let's make a promise,
Let's make a vow, let's make it stand:
You vow you'll marry no other woman
I'll vow I'll marry no other man!"
VI. They made a vow, they made a promise,
They made a vow, they made it stand:
He vowed he'd marry no other woman
She vowed she'd marry no other man.
VII. Seven long years had rolled around
It seemed as though it were twenty-three,
And if he's gone some seven years longer
There is no other man can marry me.
VIII Seven long years had rolled around
It seemed as though it were twenty-nine,
She bundled up her finest clothing
And declared Lord Batesman she'd go find.
IX She went 'til she came to the gate, she tingled,
How boldly thou she rang the bell:
"Who's there? Who's there?" cried the proud young porter,
"O come unto me and quickly tell."
X. "O is this hero Lord Batesman's castle
And is his lordship here within?"
"O yes, O yes," cried the proud young porter,
"He's just now taking his young bride in!"
XI. "Go remember him of a piece of bread,
Go remember him of a glass of wine,
Go remember him of the Turkish lady
Who freed him from the cold iron bond."
XII O away and away wont this proud porter,
O away and away and away went he
Until he came to Lord Batesman's chamber
When he went down on his bonded knee.
XIII. "What news? What news?, my proud young porter,
"What news? What news? Come tell to me."
"There is a lady at your gate, sir,
Fairer than your now bride ever can be!"
XIV. "She has got rings on every finger
And on one finger she has three,
With as much gay gold about her middle
As would buy half Northumberlee."
XV. "O she bids you remember a piece of bread,
O she bids you remember a glass of wine,
O she bids you remember the fair young maid
Who set you free from close confine."
XVI. He stamped his foot upon the floor
And burst the table in pieces three:
Says, "I forsake both lands and dwellings
For the fair ladye who set me free."