| Author | Topic: Add: I have Four Sisters | |
| dmcg | Posted - 29 Nov 04 - 02:07 pm | |
I have four sisters beyond the sea, Perrie, Merrie Dixie, Dominie; And they each sent a present to me, Perrie, Merrie, Dixie, Dominie. Chorus: Petrum, Partrum, Paradisi, Temporie, Perrie, Merrie, Dixie, Dominie. The first sent a chicken, without e'er a bone, Perrie, Merrie Dixie, Dominie; The second a cherry, without e'er a stone, Perrie, Merrie, Dixie, Dominie. The third sent a book which no man could read, Perrie, Merrie Dixie, Dominie; The fourth sent a blanket, without e'er a thread, Perrie, Merrie, Dixie, Dominie. How can there be a chicken, without e'er a bone? Perrie, Merrie Dixie, Dominie; How can there be a cherry, without e'er a stone? Perrie, Merrie, Dixie, Dominie. How can there be a book which no man can read? Perrie, Merrie Dixie, Dominie; How can there be a blanket, without e'er a thread? Perrie, Merrie, Dixie, Dominie. When the chicken's in the egg-shell there is no bone, Perrie, Merrie Dixie, Dominie; When the cherry's in the bud, there is no stone. Perrie, Merrie Dixie, Dominie. When the book's in the press, no man can read, Perrie, Merrie Dixie, Dominie; When the blanket's in the fleece there is no thread. Perrie, Merrie Dixie, Dominie. Source: Singing Together, Autumn 1972, BBC Publications Notes: This is clearly of the riddling-song tradition, like many of the low-numbered Child ballads but the riddles themselves more closely match "Captain Wedderburn's Courtship" (Child 46). "I gave my love a cherry" is probably the closest match. | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 29 Nov 04 - 03:28 pm | |
I Gave my Love a Cherry is generally considered a variant of this song, which Child includes in his discussion of Captain Wedderburn; Bronson prints several examples (I, 46, Appendix), but the one shown above doesn't seem at first sight to be among them. Examples have been found in oral currency in England, Scotland and the USA. The earliest known text appears in British Museum Sloane MS 2593 (mid 15th century). I quote it here from Child (I, 415), where it is taken from a transcription in Wright's Songs and Carols (1836, no. 8). There is no html code for the letter "yogh" (which resembles a z with a long tail) so I substitute "y" (emboldened) as generally nearest in sound. I have a yong suster fer beyondyn the se, Many be the drowryis that che sente me. Che sente me the cherye, withoutyn ony ston, And so che dede [the] dowe, withoutyn ony bon. Sche sente mé the brere, withoutyn ony rynde, Sche bad me love my lemman withoute longgyng. How xuld ony cherye be withoute ston? And how xuld ony dowe ben withoute bon? How xuld any brere ben without rynde? How xuld y love myn lemman without longyng? Quan the cherye was a flour, than hadde it non ston; Quan the dowe was an ey, than hadde it non bon. Quan the brere was onbred, than hadde it non rynd; Quan the mayden hayt that che lovit, che is without longyng. Three later examples can be seen in the online selections from Notes and Queries at The Internet Library of Early Journals: Notes and Queries Vol. 9 3rd S. (228) May 12 1866 Page 401 Notes and Queries Vol. 3 4th S. (74) May 29 1869 Page 501 Notes and Queries Vol. 3 4th S. (78) June 26 1869 Page 604 Edited By Malcolm Douglas - 29-Nov-2004 03:47:00 PM | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 30 Nov 04 - 03:31 pm | |
Number 3 is sometimes substituted for yogh, as in this transcription. Edited By masato sakurai - 04-Dec-2004 01:26:06 AM | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 30 Nov 04 - 04:24 pm | |
That's probably a better idea; a bit less ambiguous perhaps. | ||