Willie of Hazel Green- Nelson (NB) 1929 Barry A
[From British Ballad From Maine; Barry and all; 1929; Barry was aware of the Virginia versions collected starting in 1914 since they were printed in Folk Society Bulletins. Barry's notes follow.
This appears to be based on or similar to a broadside by Webb and Millington of Leeds who were printing c.1840-50 and a copy can be found on the Bodleian Library Website, Firth Collection b26 (534).
Hazle Green
As I walked one evening all for to take the air,
I heard a charming fair maid heave a sigh and a tear,
I drew a little nigher to her to hear what she could mean,
And all that she lamented for was Willey of Hazle Green.
What ails you, what ails you, my charming maid, that you mourn so near the tide,
You might be a bed-fellow to either lord or king,
So cheer up your heart, my charming maid, and come along with me,
I'll marry you to my eldest son, and happy you shall be.
When there you will get nothing but mistress or madam,
So cheer up your heart, my charming maid, and come away to him;
For to be called mistress or madam my breeding is so mean,
I'd far rather be a bride to Willey of Hazle Green.
What is he, what is he, this Hazle Green, I wish I could see him,
He is one of the cleverest young men that ever your eyes did see,
His arms long, his shoulders broad, he is fair to be seen,
And his hair hangs down like links of gold, and he's my Hazle Green.
O I am that Hazle's father that's come to look for thee,
He mounted her on a milk-white steed, himself on a silver grey,
And there they rode along the road the length of a long summer's day,
Until they came unto a fine building wherein the young man dwelt,
Outslipt a clever and clean young man, and his name was Hazle Green.
He kiss'd her once, he kiss'd her twice, before he set her down,
And now she is wed to her own true love, sweet Willey of Hazle Green.
R. Matteson 2014]
"Willie of Hazel Green" is a purely traditional version of the old ballad, "John of Hazelgreen," in an excellent state of preservation. It is quite unrelated to any of the five texts printed by Child (V, 160-164), and would, without any doubt, have been admitted by him, had he known of it, to full rank, as an independent version. The name "Willie" is a unique feature of the tradition of the ballad: Child's texts all call the young man John or Jock. Our text makes Willie an only son. In Child B, the father speaks simply of "my son," but in A, C, of "my eldest son" in E, of "my youngest son." Child D, however, makes the father offer the maid the choice of his two sons. Stanza 5 of our text, especially the first half of it, is quite unlike anything in any of child's versions.
Only two airs to "John of Hazelgreen" were known to Child. Of these, Kinloch's air is of the old ballad type, a form of melody to which we might expect the ballad to have been originally sung. Mr. Nelson's charming air is a lilting Irish melody of the modified come-all-ye type, suited by its form to an eight-line stanza. Since, however, it has a full cadence at the end of the second phrase, it is perfectly well adapted to the text as we have it, with its closing stanza of but four lines.
The ballad is all but extinct in British tradition. Gavin Greig (Last Leaces, pp. 244-245) obtained from Miss Bell Robertson, a fragmentary text of ten lines. Our version is the first to be recorded in the North. The only American versions previously taken down are from Virginia: Sharp MSS (Harvard University Library) ; Virginia Folk-Lore Society, Bulletin, III, 5; IV, 9; V, 9; VI, 7; VIII, 8; X, 7.
WILLIE OF HAZEL GREEN
(John of Hazelgreen, Child 29A)
A. Sent in, February, 1929, by Mr. Thomas E. Nelson, Union Mills, New Brunswick. Melody recorded by Mr. D. A. Nesbitt.
1. As I walked out one fine summer's evening
Down by yon shady grove,
It was there I espied a pretty fair maid
Lamenting for her love.
As I drew nigh, sure, she did cry,
For better it might have been seen,
For she was a-letting the tears down fall
For young Willie of Hazel Green.
2. "What grieves, what grieves, my pretty fair maid,
That you weep so near the tide?
Sure you might be a bride," said I,
"To many a Lord or Knight:
Sure you might be a bride" says I,
"To many a Lord or King."
"I would rather be a bride," said she,
"To young Willie of Hazel Green."
3 "If you'll forsake your Hazel Green,
And come along with me,
I would have you to wed my only son,--
I have no child but he:
I would have [you] ride in many coshays, [1]
And servants to wait upon thee,
If you forsake your Hazel Green,
And come along with me."
4 "Oh, for to ride in many coshays, [1]
My state it is rather low:
I would rather be wed to the boy I love,
Than man I never knew:
His arms are long, and his shoulders are broad,
He is rather to be seen -
He is none of your north country gentlemen,
But he is my love Hazel Green."
5 Then he mounted on a milk white steed,
And she upon a bay,
And they rode together on that warm summer's night,
And part of the next day:
But when they arrived in front of the castle,
The bells began for to ring
And who stepped [out] but that worthy young knight
Called Willie of Hazel Green.
6 "You are welcome home, dear father," he said,
"And why did you tarry so long?"
And where did you find this pretty fair maid,
That I did send you for?"
He gave her a kiss, one hundred of kisses,
Before he would let her in,
So now she is wed to the boy she loved,
Young Willie of Hazel Green.
7 He gave her a kiss, one hundred of kisses,
Before he would let her in,
And now she stays there, and enjoys happy life,
With young Willie of Hazel Green.
1. Coaches.