"Barbara Allen", "Greensleeves" And "Scarborough Fair"

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"Barbara Allen", "Greensleeves" And "Scarborough Fair"

By Thomas Keyes
Mar. 14, 2005

Three beautiful old English ballads of unrequited love are “Barbara Allen”, “Greensleeves” and “Scarborough Fair”. “Barbara Allen” dates from the seventeenth century or earlier, while “Greensleeves” and “Scarborough Fair” go back at least to the sixteenth century. The melodies can be heard at the URL’s shown below.

There are many, many versions of all three songs. For “Barbara Allen” and “Greensleeves”, I have given the versions that I personally am familiar with, and these may or may not agree with any lyrics posted at the URL’s. As for “Scarborough Fair”, I have adopted Wikipedia.com’s version, with a few trivial changes I have taken the liberty of making. Wikipedia’s version is a duet, with a boy and a girl singing some stanzas together, and each singing some other stanzas alone. Basically, it’s very close to the version that I also sing.

I’ve known “Greensleeves” and “Scarborough Fair” since the 1960’s and “Barbara Allen” since the 1980’s. I usually sing them and play them on a soprano recorder (flute) alternately.

Incidentally, the phrase "Scarborough Fair" does not mean "Scarborough Beautiful", as it might appear. The town of Scarborough did have an annual fair for the sale of artisan products, produce, etc. No one ever accused the English language of being unambiguous.

BARBARA ALLEN

http://home.wanadoo.nl/bruch/lullaby/barbara.html

In Scarlet town where I was born,
There was a fair maid dwellin'
Made every youth cry Well-a-day,
Her name was Barb'ra Allen.

All in the merry month of May,
When green buds they were swellin'
Young Willie Grove on his death-bed lay,
For love of Barb'ra Allen.

He sent his servant to her door
To the town where he was dwellin'
Haste ye come, to my master's call,
If your name be be Barb'ra Allen.

So slowly, slowly got she up,
And slowly she drew nigh him,
And all she said when there she came:
"Young man, I think you're dying!"

He turned his face unto the wall
And death was drawing nigh him.
Good bye, Good bye to dear friends all,
Be kind to Bar'bra Allen

When he was dead and laid in grave,
She heard the death bell knelling.
And every note, did seem to say
Oh, cruel Barb'ra Allen

"Oh mother, mother, make my bed
Make it soft and narrow
Sweet William died, for love of me,
And I shall of sorrow."

They buried her in the old churchyard
Sweet William's grave was neigh hers
And from his grave grew a red, red rose
From hers a cruel briar.

They grew and grew up the old church spire
Until they could grow no higher
And there they twined, in a true love knot,
The red, red rose and the briar.

GREENSLEEVES

http://www.contemplator.com/england/grenslevs.html

Alas, my love, you do me wrong,
To cast me off discourteously.
For I have loved you well and long,
Delighting in your company.

Refrain:

Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight,
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but my lady greensleeves.

Your vows you've broken, like my heart,
Oh, why did you so enrapture me?
Now I remain in a world apart
But my heart remains in captivity.

Refrain

I have been ready at your hand,
To grant whatever you would crave,
I have both wagered life and land,
Your love and good-will for to have.

Refrain

If you intend thus to disdain,
It does the more enrapture me,
And even so, I still remain
A lover in captivity.

Refrain

My men were clothed all in green,
And they did ever wait on thee;
All this was gallant to be seen,
And yet thou wouldst not love me.

Refrain

Thou couldst desire no earthly thing,
But still thou hadst it readily.
Thy music still to play and sing;
And yet thou wouldst not love me.

Refrain

Well, I will pray to God on high,
That thou my constancy mayst see,
And that yet once before I die,
Thou wilt vouchsafe to love me.

Refrain

Ah, Greensleeves, now farewell, adieu,
To God I pray to prosper thee,
For I am still thy lover true,
Come once again and love me.

Refrain

SCARBOROUGH FAIR

http://www.midi-music.com/music/eng/scarboro.htm

(Boy and Girl)

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Remember me to one who lives there,
For she once was a true love of mine.

(Boy Only)

Tell her to make me a cambric shirt,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Without any seams or fine needlework,
And then she’ll be a true love of mine.

Tell her to wash it in yonder dry well,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Where water ne’er sprang nor drop of rain fell,
And then she’ll be a true love of mine.

Tell her to dry it on yonder thorn,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Which never bore blossom since Adam was born,
And then she’ll be a true love of mine.

Ask her to do me this courtesy,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
And ask for a like favor from me,
And then she’ll be a true love of mine.

. (Boy and girl)

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Remember me to one who lives there,
For he once was a true love of mine.

(Girl Only)

Ask him to find me an acre of land,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Between the salt water and the sea sand,
For then he’ll be a true love of mine.

Ask him to plough it with a lamb’s horn,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
And sow it all over with one peppercorn,
For then he’ll be a true love of mine.

Ask him to reap it with a sickle of leather,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
And gather it up with a rope made of heather,
For then he’ll be a true love of mine.

When he has done and finished his work,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Ask him to come for his cambric shirt,
For then he’ll be a true love of mine.

(Boy and Girl)

If you say that you can’t, then I’ll reply,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Oh, let me know that at least you will try,
Or you’ll never be a true love of mine.

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About the author Thomas Keyes: I have written two books: A SOJOURN IN ASIA (non-fiction) and A TALE OF UNG (fiction), neither published so far.

I have studied languages for years and traveled extensively on five continents.

Email: udikeyes@yahoo.com

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