Lord Thomas- Wallace (NS) 1950 Creighton
[From Traditional Songs from Nova Scotia; Creighton and Senior, 1950, p. 40. This ballad is fairly rare in the Notheast. This ballad introduces a new adverb, "quicklier" in the final stanza.
R. Matteson 2014]
"Lord Thomas and Fair Ellinor" - Sung by Mrs. Annie C. Wallace, Halifax, N.S.
1. Lord Thomas he was a warrior bold
And wore a broadsword by his side,
Fair Ellinor she was a fair woman
He wanted her for his bride,
He wanted her for his bride.
2. "Come riddle my riddle dear mother," she said,
"Come riddle my riddle for me,
Oh say will I go to Lord Thomas' wedding
Or will I bide home with thee,
Or will I bide home with thee?"
3. "Where five will be your friends," she said,
"Twenty will be your foe,
So if you will my blessing win
To Lord Thomas' wedding don't go,
To Lord Thomas' wedding don't go."
4. She dressed herself in scarlet red
Her merry maids all in green,
And as she rode all through the town
They took her to be some queen,
They took her to be some queen.
5. When she got to Lord Thomas' bower
She loudly knocked at the ring,
There was none so ready as Lord Thomas
To let fair Ellinor in,
To let fair Ellinor in.
6. He took her by the lily white hand
And he led her through the hall
And set her down on the noble chair
Among her ladies all,
Among her ladies all.
7. "Is this your-bride Lord Thomas?" she says,
"I think she looks wondrous brown,
When you might have had as fair a lady
As ever the sun shone on,
As ever the sun shone on."
8. The brown girl took a small pen-knife
Which was both keen and sharp,
And 'twixt the long ribs and the short
She pierced fair Ellinor's heart,
She pierced fair Ellinor's heart.
9. Lord Thomas he had a sword by his side
Which was not sharp at all,
He cut the brown girl's head right off
And dashed it against the wall,
And dashed it against the wall.
10. "Oh dig my grave," Lord Thomas he cried
"Dig it both wide and deep.
And lay fair Ellinor by my side
And the brown girl at my feet,
And the brown girl at my feet.
11. There were never three lovers more quicklier met
Than quicklier parted were they.