Tiranti, my Son- Marston (MA) c.1810 Child I c
[From English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Child 1882 Vol. 1. As given by Miss Ellen Marston, this variant was learned from her mother who was born in 1778. With out more information it's hard to guess when her mother learned this. We can surmise that Ellen Marston was born circa 1800 and learned it as a child- which is a lot to surmise- still I'm giving a date of c.1810.
Although this is considered a New England title, versions with this title have been found in NC (Brown) and elsewhere. Phillips Barry claims that the assorted "Tiranti" titles came from a corruption of Tyrannus and not from Randall at all. He says that Tyrannus is rare and is mentioned in New England Genealogical Record
Child lists seven versions of I, all from the US, but doesn't offer individual texts. Instead he gives the text of I a and the changes from I a to make the other versions. For I a he gives changes the order of the verses to conform with standard verses. The changes for other texts are found in the End Notes.
In Volume 2, Additions and Corrections, he adds I h and I i, then he gives the changes for h and k [sic], which should be i. I'm adding the texts, assembled from the End Notes, for all nine below:
I. 'Tiranti, my Son.'
a. Communicated by a lady of Boston,
b. By an aunt of the same.
c. By a lady of New Bedford,
d. By a lady of Cambridge,
e. By ladies of Boston.
f. By ladies of Boston.
g. By ladies of Boston.
h. Communicated by Mr. George M. Richardson.
i. Communicated by Mr. George L. Kittredge.
Child adds the following: I, a version current in eastern Massachusetts, may be carried as far back as any. a, b derive from Elizabeth Foster, whose parents, both natives of eastern Massachusetts, settled, after their marriage, in Maine, where she was born in 1789. Elizabeth Foster's mother is remembered to have sung the ballad, and I am informed that the daughter must have learned it not long after 1789, since she was removed in her childhood from Maine to Massachusetts, and continued there till her death. 'Tiranti' ['Taranti'] may not improbably be a corruption of Lord Randal.
Miss Ellen Marston of New Bedford may be related to an informant for Barry and Flanders, a Mrs. Annie V. Marston of West Gouldsboro, who learned a version (Dear Wilson my Son) in 1867 of Adin B. Judkins of Orneville, Piscataquis County.
R. Matteson 2011, 2014]
TIRANTI, MY SON- Child Ic.
c. By Miss Ellen Marston, of New Bedford, as learned from her mother, born 1778.
1. 'O where have you been, Tiranti, my son?
O where have you been, my sweet little one?'
'I have been to my grandmother's; mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm sick at my heart , and I'm faint to lie down.'
2. 'O what did she give you, Tiranti, my son?
O what did she give you, my sweet little one?'
'Striped eels fried in butter; mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm sick at my heart, and I'm faint to lie down.'
3. 'O how did they look, Tiranti, my son?
O how did they look, my sweet little one?'
Ringed, streaked, and speckled, mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm sick at my heart, and I'm faint to lie down.'
4. O where did they come from, Tiranti, my son?
O where did they come from, my sweet little one?'
'From the corner of the haystack; mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm sick at my heart, and I'm faint to lie down.'
5. 'What what will you give your father, [Tiranti] my son?
O what what will give him, my sweet little one?'
'A coach and six horses; mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm sick at my heart, and I'm faint to lie down.'
6. 'O what will you give your mother, [Tiranti] my son?
O what will you give your mother, my sweet little one?'
'All my gold and my silver; mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm sick at my heart, and I'm faint to lie down.'
7 'O what will you give your granny, Tiranti, my son?
O what will you give your granny, my sweet little one?'
'A halter to hang her; mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm sick at my heart, and I'm faint to lie down.'
8 'Where'll you have your bed made, Tiranti, my son?
Where'll you have your bed made, my sweet little one?'
'In the corner of the churchyard; mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm sick at my heart, and I'm faint to lie down.'
9. So this is the end of, Tiranti, my son,
So this is the end of, my sweet little one:
His grandmother poisoned him with an old dead snake,
And he left her a halter to hang by the neck.
Footnotes Child Ic. :
c. 1[4], at my heart (and always).
2[1]. O what did she give you? etc.
3. Striped eels fried, etc.
3 = a 4. 1 O how did they look? etc.
[3]. Ringed, streaked, and speckled, etc.
4 = a 3. [1]. O where did they come from?
5[1]. what will you give your father, my son?
[2]. O what will you give him?
[3]. A coach and six horses.
6[1]. O what will you give your mother, my son? as in 5.
[3]. All my gold and my silver.
7[1]. O what will you give your granny? as in 5.
8[1]. where'll, etc.
c adds, as 9:
So this is the end of Tiranti my son,
So this is the end of my sweet little one:
His grandmother poisoned him with an old dead snake,
And he left her a halter to hang by the neck.