The Pale Ring- Duff (Hazard, KY) 1932 Niles
[Version 12 A from The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles, 1961, with music. Niles collected this and a one stanza fragment he titled, The Jeweled Ring, which is version 12 B. Niles has a reputation and has even admitted (Wilgus) that he recreates ballads. This version, in my opinion, can only be a ballad recreation. The reasons are 1) this is a very rare ballad and is not found in Kentucky or the Appalachian region. Like Child 14 "Babylon," Hind Horn has been found primarily in Canada and New England. 2) there are no version in the US or Canada that mention the name Hind Horn, the hero is known as the "beggar man." Yet in stanza 10 he has,
Off the beggar's rags he shed,
Hind Horn took the bride to bed.
catchy, but giving the name "Hind Horn" in the text makes this version so improbable that any chance of it being traditional has vanished. Not even his footnote in stanza 9 can save him now.
R. Matteson 2014]
The Pale Ring (Niles No. 12 A)- Sung by James Duff Hazard, KY, July 1932.
(Melodic minor mode on E)- [Music upcoming]
1. When this ring is pale and wan,
Fa-le-la-le lu-le-la,
When this ring is pale and wan,
Then my true love will be gone.
2. Once he look his jewel on,
Fa-le-la-le lu-le-la,
Once he look his jewel on,
Saw that his was pale and wan.
3. When he came to her fine hall,
He was dressed in scarlet all.
4. There he cast off scarlet red,
There he begged for his bread.
5. When the bride tripped down the stair,
See the lovely golden hair.
6. See the wineglass in her hand
For the poor old beggarman.
7. As he drank the lastest drop,
Dropped the ring in from the top.
8. "Got ye it by sea or land,
Or off drownded man's cold hand?"
9. " 'Twas not[1] got by sea or land,
But did come from your dear hand."
10. Off the beggar's rags he shed,
Hind Horn took the bride to bed.
1. Perhaps "na" for "not."