Lord Thomas- Daily (MA-IR) pre1884 Child Dh
[My date. From English and Scottish Popular Ballads; Volume 3: Ballads 54-82; Published June 1885.
Child says this was: "An Irish version, recited by Ellen Daily, Taunton, Massachusetts."
The changes taken from Da follow. It should be remembered that this is an approximation and that the original MS would be needed to make an authentic version.
R. Matteson 2014]
h. An Irish version, recited by Ellen Daily, Taunton, Massachusetts.
22. Come riddle me all at once.
24. Or the bonny brown girl.
4. He dressed himself up in a suit of fine clothes,
With merry men all in white;
And there was not a town that he rode through
But they took him to be a knight.
52. very low at her ring.
103,4. 'Let the wind blow high or low,
To Lord Thomas's wedding I'll go.'
11. She dressed herself up in a suit of fine clothes,
With merry maids all in green;
And there was not a town that she rode through
But they took her to be a queen.
122. very low at his ring.
After 12:
He took her by the lily-white hand,
And led her along the hall;
He handed her to the head of the table,
Among the ladies all.
After 13:
Then out spoke the bonny brown girl some words with spirit, saying:
'Where did you get the water so clear,
That washed your face so white?'
'There is a well in my father's yard
That is both clear and spring,
And if you were to live till the day you die
That doon you never shall see.'
14 is wanting.
After 19:
'Bury my mother at my head,
Fair Ellenor by my side,
And bury the bonny brown girl at the end of the church,
Where she will be far from me.'
...
...
Out of Fair Ellen there grew a red rose,
And out of Lord Thomas there grew a sweet-briar.
They grew so tall, they sprung so broad,
They grew to a steeple top;
Twelve o'clock every night
They grew to a true lover's knot.
Lord Thomas and Fair Ellenor
1 Lord Thomas he was a bold forrester,
And a chaser of the king's deer;
Fair Ellenor was a fair woman,
And Lord Thomas he loved her dear.
2 'Come riddle my riddle, dear mother,' he said,
'Come riddle me all at once,
Whether I shall marry Fair Ellenor,
Or the bonny brown girl home.'
3 'The brown girl she has got houses and lands,
And Fair Ellinor she has got none;
Therefore I charge you on my blessing
To bring me the brown girl home.'
4. He dressed himself up in a suit of fine clothes,
With merry men all in white;
And there was not a town that he rode through
But they took him to be a knight.
5 But when he came to Fair Ellinor's bower,
He knocked very low at her ring;
But who was so ready as Fair Ellinor
For to let Lord Thomas in.
6 'What news, what news, Lord Thomas,' she said,
'What news hast thou brought unto me?'
'I am come to bid thee to my wedding,
And that is bad news to thee.'
7 'Oh God forbid, Lord Thomas,' she said,
'That such a thing should be done;
I thought to have been thy bride my own self,
And you to have been the bride's-groom.
8 'Come riddle my riddle, dear mother,' she sayd,
'And riddle it all in one;
Whether I shall go to Lord Thomas's wedding,
Or whether I shall tarry at home.'
9 'There's many that are your friends, daughter,
And many that are your fo;
Therefore I charge you on my blessing,
To Lord Thomas's wedding don't go.'
10 'There's many that are my friends, mother,
If a thousand more were my foe,
Let the wind blow high or low,
To Lord Thomas's wedding I'll go.'
11. She dressed herself up in a suit of fine clothes,
With merry maids all in green;
And there was not a town that she rode through
But they took her to be a queen.
12 But when she came to Lord Thomas's gate,
She knocked very low at his ring;
But who was so ready as Lord Thomas
To let Fair Ellenor in.
13 He took her by the lily-white hand,
And led her along the hall;
He handed her to the head of the table,
Among the ladies all.
13 'Is this your bride?' Fair Ellen she said,
'Methinks she looks wondrous brown;
Thou might have had as fair a woman
As ever trod on the ground.'
14. Then out spoke the bonny brown girl
Some words with spirit, saying:
'Where did you get the water so clear,
That washed your face so white?'
15. 'There is a well in my father's yard
That is both clear and spring,
And if you were to live till the day you die
That doon you never shall see.'
16 This brown bride had a little penknife,
That was both long and sharp,
And betwixt the short ribs and the long
Pricked Fair Ellenor to the heart.
17 'Oh Christ now save thee,' Lord Thomas he said,
'Methinks thou looks wondrous wan;
Thou was used for to look as fresh a color
As ever the sun shined on.'
18 'Oh art thou blind, Lord Thomas?' she said,
'Or canst thou not very well see?
Oh dost thou not see my own heart's blood
Runs trickling down my knee?'
19 Lord Thomas he had a sword by his side,
As he walked about the hall;
He cut off his bride's head from her shoulders,
And he threw it against the wall.
20 He set the hilt against the ground,
And the point against his heart;
There was never three lovers that ever met
More sooner they did depart.
21 'Bury my mother at my head,
Fair Ellenor by my side,
And bury the bonny brown girl at the end of the church,
Where she will be far from me.'