Young Barbour- Roberts (NL) 1920 Greenleaf A
[One of three versions from Ballads and Sea Songs of Newfoundland- Greenleaf and Mansfield 1933. Notes by Kittredge follow.
R. Matteson 2012, 2015]
This charming ballad is one of the most popular songs in Newfoundland. It is known and sung by the young people in all parts of the island. The English ballad is evidently the source, as the lover's name is invariably "Barbour" in Newfoundland, and not "Willie," as in most of the Scottish versions (Keith, No. 37, "Thomas"). It seems strange that a ballad so popular in Newfoundland should not be sung extensively in North America, but other collectors have not recorded it except for an imperfect text in Combs) pp. 140-141 (West Virginia); d. Barry, Eckstorm, and Smyth, pp. 224-225.
A. YOUNG BARBOUR-- Sung by Maude Roberts, Sally's Cove, 1920.
1. 'Twas of a lady in the north counteree,
She was clothed all in green,
As she looked out from her father's castle wall
And she saw a ship a-sailing in,
And she saw a ship a-sailing in.
2. "O daughter, O daughter," her father did say,
"What makes you look so pale and wan,
She must have some sort of sickness," he said,
Or be in love with some young man,
Or be in love with some young man."
3 "O father, 0 father," the daughter did say,
"'Tis no wonder for me to look so pale and wan,
For what do grieve my poor heart," she said,
"My true love is so long at sea." (Repeat last line as before throughout)
4 "O, is he a lord, or is he a duke,
Or a man of high degree?
Or is he one of my seven sea boys
That ploughs the raging sea?"
5 "He is no lord, nor he is no duke,
Nor a man of high degree,
But he is one of your seven sea boys
That ploughs the raging sea."
6 "O daughter, 0 daughter," her father did say,
"Is that the truth you are telling me?
For to-morrow morning at eight o'clock
It is hanging he will be."
7 "O father, a father," the daughter did say,
"Is this the truth you are telling to me?
For if you do hang mine own true love,
You will get no good of me."
8 He called down his seven sea boys,
By one, by two, by three.
Young Barbour he always used to be the fust,
But the last came down was he.
9 Young Barbour he came a-trembling down,
He was clothed all in silk,
With his cherry cheeks like the roses red,
And his skin so white as milk.
10 "O daughter, O daughter," the father did say,
" 'Tis no wonder for you to look pale and wan;
For if I was a woman instead of a man,
I would die for the love of him."
11 "Will you wed my daughter?" the father did say,
"Will you take her by the hand?
And will you come down and dine with me
And be heir to all my land?"
12 "Yes, I will marry your daughter," he said,
"I will take her by the hand,
I will come down and dine with you," he said,
"And a fig for all your land!"
13 "If you can give her a guinea a day,
I can give her thirty and three,
Although they calls me the Young Barbour,
That ploughs the raging sea."