Part 2 — 26 THE THREE RAVENS
Reading edition
a. Melismata. Musicall Phansies. Fitting the Court, Cittie, and Countrey Humours. London, 1611, No 20.[210] [T. Ravenscroft.]
b. 'The Three Ravens,' Motherwell's Minstrelsy, Appendix, p. xviii, No XII.
a was printed from Melismata, by Ritson, in his Ancient Songs, 1790, p. 155. Mr. Chappell remarked, about 1855, Popular Music of the Olden Time, I, 59, that this ballad was still so popular in some parts of the country that he had "been favored with a variety of copies of it, written down from memory, and all differing in some respects, both as to words and tune, but with sufficient resemblance to prove a similar origin." Motherwell, Minstrelsy, Introduction, p. lxxvii, note 49, says he had met with several copies almost the same as a. b is the first stanza of one of these (traditional) versions, "very popular in Scotland."
The following verses, first printed in the Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, and known in several versions in Scotland, are treated by Motherwell and others as a traditionary form of 'The Three Ravens.' They are, however, as Scott says, "rather a counterpart than a copy of the other," and sound something like a cynical variation of the tender little English ballad. Dr Rimbault (Notes and Queries, Ser. V, III, 518) speaks of unprinted copies taken down by Mr Blaikie and by Mr Thomas Lyle of Airth.
THE TWA CORBIES.
a. Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, III, 239, ed. 1803, communicated by C. K. Sharpe, as written down from tradition by a lady. b. Albyn's Anthology, II, 27, 1818, "from the singing of Mr Thomas Shortreed, of Jedburgh, as sung and recited by his mother." c. Chambers's Scottish Ballads, p. 283, partly from recitation and partly from the Border Minstrelsy. d. Fraser-Tytler MS., p. 70.
1 As I was walking all alane, I heard twa corbies making a mane; The tane unto the t'other say, 'Where sall we gang and dine to-day?' 2 'In behint yon auld fail dyke, I wot there lies a new slain knight; And naebody kens that he lies there, But his hawk, his hound, and lady fair. 3 'His hound is to the hunting gane, His hawk to fetch the wild-fowl hame, His lady's ta'en another mate, So we may mak our dinner sweet. 4 'Ye'll sit on his white hause-bane, And I'll pike out his bonny blue een; Wi ae lock o his gowden hair We' theek our nest when it grows bare. 5 'Mony a one for him makes mane, But nane sall ken where he is gane; Oer his white banes, when they are bare, The wind sall blaw for evermair.'
'The Three Ravens' is translated by Grundtvig, Engelske og skotske Folkeviser, p. 145, No 23; by Henrietta Schubart, p. 155; Gerhard, p. 95; Rosa Warrens, Schottische V. l. der Vorzeit, p. 198; Wolff, Halle der Völker, I, 12, Hausschatz, p. 205.
'The Twa Corbies' (Scott), by Grundtvig, p. 143, No 22; Arndt, p. 224; Gerhard, p. 94; Schubart, p. 157; Knortz, L. u. R. Alt-Englands, p. 194; Rosa Warrens, p. 89. The three first stanzas, a little freely rendered into four, pass for Pushkin's: Works, 1855, II, 462, xxiv.
1 There were three rauens sat on a tree, Downe a downe, hay down, hay downe There were three rauens sat on a tree, With a downe There were three rauens sat on a tree, They were as blacke as they might be. With a downe derrie, derrie, derrie, downe, downe 2 The one of them said to his mate, 'Where shall we our breakefast take?' 3 'Downe in yonder greene field, There lies a knight slain vnder his shield. 4 'His hounds they lie downe at his feete, So well they can their master keepe. 5 'His haukes they flie so eagerly, There's no fowle dare him come nie.' 6 Downe there comes a fallow doe, As great with yong as she might goe. 7 She lift vp his bloudy hed, And kist his wounds that were so red. 8 She got him vp vpon her backe, And carried him to earthen lake. 9 She buried him before the prime, She was dead herselfe ere euen-song time. 10 God send euery gentleman, Such haukes, such hounds, and such a leman.
b.
Three ravens sat upon a tree, Hey down, hey derry day Three ravens sat upon a tree, Hey down Three ravens sat upon a tree, And they were black as black could be. And sing lay doo and la doo and day
Variations of The Twa Corbies.
b.
1. As I cam by yon auld house end, I saw twa corbies sittin thereon.
21. Whare but by yon new fa'en birk.
3. We'll sit upon his bonny breast-bane, And we'll pick out his bonny gray een; We'll set our claws intil his yallow hair, And big our bowr, it's a' blawn bare. 4. My mother clekit me o an egg, And brought me up i the feathers gray, And bade me flee whereer I wad, For winter wad be my dying day. 5. Now winter it is come and past, And a' the birds are biggin their nests, But I'll flee high aboon them a', And sing a sang for summer's sake.
c.
1. As I gaed doun by yon hous-en, Twa corbies there were sittand their lane.
21. O down beside yon new-faun birk.
31. His horse.
32. His hounds to bring the wild deer hame.
4. O we'll sit on his bonnie breist-bane, And we'll pyke out his bonnie grey een.
d.
11. walking forth.
12. the ither.
13. we twa dine.
32. wild bird.
52. naebody kens.
53. when we've laid them bare.
54. win may blaw.