I am a maid that's deep in love (1)
But yes I can complain
I have in this world but one true love
And Jimmy is his name
And if I do not find my love
I'll mourn most constantly
And I'll find and follow Jimmy thro'
The lands of liberty
Then I'll cut off my yellow hair
Men's clothing I'll wear on
I'll sign to a bold sea captain
My passage I'll work free
And I'll find and follow Jimmy thro'
The lands of liberty
One night upon the raging sea
As we were going to bed
The captain cried "Farewell my boy,
I wish you were a maid
Your rosy cheeks, your ruby lips
They are enticing me
And I wish dear God with all my heart
A maid you were to me''
"Then hold your tongue, dear
captain
Such talk is all in vain
And if the sailors find it out
They'll laugh and make much game
For when we reach Columbia shore
Some prettier girls you'll find
And you'll laugh and sing and court with them
For courting you are inclined"
It was no three days after
Our ship it reached the shore
"Adieu my loving captain
Adieu for evermore
For once I was a sailor on sea
But now I am a maid on shore
So adieu to you and all your crew
With you I'll sail no more''
"Come back, come back, my own
pretty maid
Come back and marry me
I have ten thousand pounds in gold
And that I'll give to thee
So come back, come back, my own pretty maid
Come back and marry me''
When I was in my prime I flourished
like a vine (2)
There came along a false young man
Come stole away my time
Come stole away my time (3)
The gardener standing by, three offers
he gave to me
The pink, the violet and red rose, which I refused all three
Which I refused all three.
The pink's no flower at all, for it
fades away to soon
The violet is too pale a hue, I think I'll wait 'til June
I think I'll wait 'til June.
In June the red rose blooms, that's not
the flower for me
I think I'll pluck the red rose off and plant a willow tree
And plant a willow tree.
And the willow tree shall weep, and the
willow tree shall whine
I wish I was in the young man's arms that won the heart of mine (4)
That won the heart of mine.
If I'm Spared for one year more, and
God should grant me grace
I'll weep a bowl of crystal tears to wash his deceitful face
To wash his deceitful face.
It
was homeward bound one night on the deep (5)
Swinging
in my hammock I fell asleep
I
dreamed a dream and I thought it true
Concerning
Franklin and his gallant crew.
With
one hundred seamen he sailed away
To
the frozen ocean in the month of May
To
seek a passage around the pole
Where
we poor seamen do sometimes go.
Through
cruel hardships they mainly strove
Their
ship on mountains of ice was drove
Only
the Eskimo with his skin canoe
Was
the only one that ever came through.
In
Baffin's Bay where the whale fish blow
The
fate of Franklin no man may know
The
fate of Franklin no tongue can tell
Lord
Franklin along with his sailors do dwell.
And
now my burden it gives me pain,
For
my long lost Franklin I'd cross the main
Ten
thousand pounds I would freely give
To
say on earth that my Franklin do live.
There lived a lady by the North Sea
shore
(Lay the bent to the bonnie broom)
Two daughters were the babes she bore (6)
(Fa la la la la la la la la la)
As one grew bright as in the sun,
So coal black grew the elder one.
A knight came riding to the lady's
door,
He'd travelled far to be their wooer.
He courted one with gloves and rings,
But he loved the other above all things.
Oh sister will you go with me
To watch the ships sail on the sea?
She took her sister by the hand
And led her down to the North Sea strand.
And as they stood on the windy shore
The dark girl threw her sister o'er.
Sometimes she sank, sometimes she swam,
Crying, "Sister, reach to me your hand!"
"Oh Sister, Sister, let me live,
And all that's mine I'll surely give."
"It's your own true love that I'll
have and more,
But thou shalt never come ashore."
And there she floated like a swan,
The salt sea bore her body on.
Two minstrels walked along the strand
And saw the maiden float to land.
They made a harp of her breast bone,
Whose sound would melt a heart of stone.
They took three locks of her yellow
hair,
And with them strung the harp so rare.
They went into her father's hall
To play the harp before them all,
But when they laid it on a stone
The harp began to play alone.
The first string sang a doleful sound:
"The bride her younger sister drowned."
The second string as that they tried,
In terror sits the black-haired bride.
The third string sang beneath their
bow,
"And surely now her tears will flow."
Jack Orion was as good a fiddler (7)
As ever fiddled on a string
And he could make young women mad
With the tune his fiddle would sing
He could fiddle the fish out of salt
water
Or water from a marble stone
Or milk from out of a maiden's breast
Though baby she'd got none
He's taken is fiddle into his hand
He's fiddled and he's sung
And oft he's fiddled unto the King
Who never thought it long
As he sat fiddling in the castle hall
He's played them all so sound asleep
All but for the young princess
And for love she stayed awake
At first he played a slow grave tune
And then a gay one flew
And many's the sigh and loving word
That passed between the two
Come to my bower, sweet Jack Orion
When all men are at the rest
As I am a lady true to my word
Thou shalt be a welcome guest
He's lapped his fiddle in a cloth of
green
A glad man, Lord, was he
Then he's run off to his own house
Says, Tom come hither unto me
When day has dawned and the cocks have
crowed
And flapped their wings so wide
I am bidden to that lady's door
To stretch out by her side
Lie down in your bed, dear master
And sleep as long as you may
I'll keep good watch and awaken you
Three hours before 'tis day
But he rose up that worthless lad
His master's clothes did don
A collar he's cast about his neck
He seemed the gentleman
Well he didn't take that lady gay
To bolster nor to bed
But down upon the bower floor
He quickly had her laid
And he neither kissed her when he came
Nor when from her he did go
And in and out of her window
The moon like a coal did glow
Ragged are your stockings love
Stubbley is your cheek and chin
And tangled is that yellow hair
That I saw yester' een
The stockings belong to my boy Tom
They're the first came to my hand
The wind it tangled my yellow hair
As I rode over the land
Tom took his fiddle into his hand
So saucy there he sang
Then he's off back to his master's house
As fast as he could run
Wake up, wake up, my good master
I fear 'tis almost dawn
Wake up, wake up the cock has crowded
'Tis time that you were gone
Then quickly rose up Jack Orion
Put on his cloak and shoon
And cast a collar about his neck
He was a lord's true son
And when he came to the lady's bower
He lightly rattled the pin
The lady was true to her word
She rose and let him in
Oh whether have you left with me
Your bracelet or your glove?
Or are you returned back again
To know more of my love?
Jack Orion swore a bloody oath
By oak and ash and bitter thorn
Saying, lady, I never was in your house
Since the day that I was born
Oh then it was your young footpage
That has so cruelly beguiled me
And woe that the blood of the ruffian lad
Should spring in my body
The she pulled forth a little sharp knife
That hung down at her knee
O'er her white feet the red blood ran
Or ever a hand could say
And dead she lay on her bower floor
At the dawning of the day
Jack Orion ran to his own house
Saying, Tom my boy, come here to me
Come hither now and I'll pay your fee
And well paid you shall be
If I had killed a man tonight
Tom I would tell it thee
But if I have taken no life tonight
Tom thou hast taken three
Then he pulled out his bright brown
sword
And dried it on his sleeve
And he smote off that vile lad's head
And asked for no man's leave
He set the sword's point to his breast
The pommel to a stone
Through the falseness of that lying lad
These three lives were all gone.
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Musicians:
Terry Cox: Drums, Percussions, Tamburine, Dulcitone, Triangle
Bert Jansch: Guitar, Vocals, Concertina, Dulcimer
Jacqui McShee: Vocals
John Renbourn: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Sitar, Vocals
Danny Thompson: Double Bass
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Tutti i brani sono
trascritti dall'LP originale del 1970 (il testo varia leggermente rispetto
alle versioni riportate nei canzonieri) |
All songs transcribed from original 1970
LP. Few variations with other versions taken from folk-song almanacs. |
| (1) |
Un brano romantico e molto semplice, parla di una
ragazza che per seguire il suo innamorato nel Nuovo Mondo si traveste da
uomo e si imbarca come mozzo su una nave, ma il suo capitano si innamora
di lei; a riva svela il suo segreto e il capitano le giura amore eterno e
la implora di sposarlo. |
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| (2) |
Nel disco questo brano è cantato "a cappella"
(per voce sola) in una interpretazione da brivido di Jacqui McShee |
An impressive unaccompanied performance of
Jacqui McShee. |
| (3) |
La versione più comune riporta "which stole the
heart of mine" che ha più senso ("ha rubato il mio cuore") |
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| (4) |
Qui era ancora riportato nel traditional originale
"stole" anziché "won", quindi rubare, anziché
"vincere" il cuore della ragazza "caduta nell'amore" |
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| (5) |
Qui è riportata la versione
cantata da Bert Jansch nel disco. Per la traduzione e la storia della
canzone vedere qui.
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| (6) |
Un drammatico tema di rivalità
in amore tra sorelle diverse (una bionda, una nera) che si ritrova in
molti brani tradizionali e in molti paesi.
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| (7) |
Questa ballata tradizionale nell'LP Cruel Sister occupa una intera facciata e segna la adozione, per
la prima volta, della chitarra elettrica con distorsore da parte dei
Pentangle, forse per adeguarsi in qualche modo allo stile folk-rock allora
imperante (Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span), mentre sino ad allora
erano stato fedeli ai soli strumenti acustici. Della ballata esistono
esistono diverse versioni.
Quella riportata è la versione presentata sulla copertina dell'LP,
diversa in molti punti da quella del cantante folk Martin Carthy che tra i
primi l'aveva riproposta. Da notare che esiste un'altra versione di Bert
Jansch di questo pezzo, contenuta nell'album omonimo a suo nome, e sempre
molto lunga (9') che si basa sulla versione di Carthy, mentre questa di
Cruel Suster è basata su una versione diversa, più esplicita nei
risvolti drammatici dello scambio di persona.
Evidente comunque l'interesse di Jansch per questo testo, che parla di un
musicista e del potere misterioso della musica.
La versione di Martin Carthy, meno esplicita:
Jack Orion was as good a fiddler
As ever fiddled on a string
And he could drive young women mad
With the tune his wife would sing
But he would fiddle the fish out of salt
water
Water from bare marble stone
Or milk from out of a maiden's breast
Though baby she had none
And there he played in the castle hall
And there he played them fast asleep
Except it was for the young countess
And for love she stayed awake
And first he played at a slow slow air
And then he played it brisk and gay
And it's oh dear love behind her hand
The lady she did say
When the day has dawned and the cocks
have crowed
And flapped their wings so wide it's you
Must come up to my chamber then
And lie down by my side
So he lapped his fiddle in a cloth of
green
And he stole out on his tiptoe
And he's got back to his boy Tom
As fast as he could go
When the day has dawned and the cocks
have crowed
And flapped their wings so wide I'm bid
To go up to that lady's door
And stretch out by her side
Lie down, lie down, my good master
And here's a blanket to your hand
And I'll waken you in as good time
As any cock in this land
So Tom took the fiddle into his hand
And he fiddled and he sang for a full hour
Until he's played him fast asleep
And he's off to the lady's bower
And when he come to the countess' door
He twirled so softly at the pin
And the lady true to her promise
Rose up and let him in
Well he did not take that lady gay
To bolster nor to bed but down
Upon the hard cold bedroom floor
Right soon he had her laid
And neither did he kiss her when he come
Nor yet when from her he did go
But in at the lady's bedroom window
The moon like a coal did glow
Oh rugged are your stockings, love
And stubbly is your cheek and chin
And tousled is that yellow hair
That I saw late yestre'en
The stockings belong to my boy Tom
But they were the first came to my hand
And the wind it tousled my yellow hair
As I rode over the land
Tom took the fiddle into his hand
And he fiddled and he played so saucily
And he's off back to his master's house
As fast as go could he
Then up, then up, my good master
Why snore you there so loud for there
Is not a cock in all this land
But has clapped his wings and crowed
Jack Orion took the fiddle into his hand
And he fiddled and he played so merrily
And he's off away to the lady's house
As fast as the coal could gae
And when he come to the lady's door
He twirled so softly at the ring
Saying, Oh my dear here's your true love
Rise up and let me in
She said, Surely you didn't leave behind
A golden brooch or a velvet glove
Or are you returned back again
To taste more of my love
Jack Orion he swore a bloody oath
By oak, by ash, by bitter thorn
Lady, I never was in this room
Since the day that I was born
Oh then it was your own boy Tom
That cruelly has beguiled me
And woe that the blood of that ruffian boy
Should spring in my body
Jack Orion took to his own house saying
Tom my boy, come here to me
And he hung that boy from his own gate-post
As high as the willow tree
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This traditional was reported in
several ways. The first time Bert Jansch sung this song, he adopted the
lyrics according the prior Martin Carthy's version.
This different version was transcribed from the original LP notes.
The performance included in Cruel Sister is also notably being the first
attempt by Pentangle to adopt an electrical guitar sound, probably to move
somehow towards the other folk-rock bands' sound (Fairport Convention,
Steeleye Span).
Martin Carthy's version, less explicit, is
reported on the left down.
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