This is a aboot a young lassie throwin a tantrim cos she thinks her lad's ignored her fan they were oot for a drink we their pals. In fairness tae her, they hid bin gaan thegither for seven year, so she wis probably scunnert waitin for the big day.
The story say's the wye she treated him fan he wis naeweel wis cruel, but she wis affa sorry fan he deid, so maybe she jist didna realise fou ill he wis. In fact, she wis sae broken heirtit that she deid as weel.
This sang is sae auld that it wis menshind bi Samual Pepys in ees diary in 1666. It's ane o the maist popular ballads in the English spikin wirild, and anither American professor, Bernard Bronson, collected 198 tunes for it. There's lots o different versions, so I've picked oot my favrit verses, and changed a few wirds here an there tae mak the story clearer.
Ballad: Barbara Allan (Child 84) Singer: Iona Fyfe
It fell aboot the Marimas Time Fan the green leaves they were fa’in That young John Graeme, fae the north countrie Fell in love wi Barbara Allan Fell in love wi Barbara Allan
He’s coortit her for seven lang years till he could coort nae langer For he fell sick and his hert wis sair So he sent for his true lover Aye he sent for his true lover
He sent his man doon through the toon Tae the place far she wis dwellin Sayin haste ye come tae my maisters side Gin yer name be’s Barbara Allan Gin yer name be’s Barbara Allan
Sae hooly hooly she’s raised up And sae slowly she’s gaed wi him And fan she’s pou’d the curtains roond She said young man I think yer dyin Said young man I think yer dyin
Aye surely I am dyin love but one kiss fae you micht cure me One kiss fae me that will niver be Though yer herts bleed wis a-spillin Though yer herts bleed wis a-spillin
For mind ye no young man she said Fan we sat in yonder tavern Ye gart the healths gae roond an roon But ye forgot yer Barbara Allan Ye forgot yer Barbara Allan
O look ye doon tae my bed fit And it’s there ye’ll find a token A china vase that’s ful o tears Gae that tae Barbara Allan Gae that tae Barbara Allan
Then he’s turned his face untae the waa For death wis wi him dealin And he’s bid farewell tae aa his freens And adieu tae Barbara Allan And adieu tae Barbara Allan
Well she hid scarcely walked a mile Fan she heard the deid bell tollin And every strike, it seemed tae sae Hard-herted Barbara Allan Hard-herted Barbara Allan
O mither, mither maak my bed For I am broken herted For young John Graeme his died for me But we winna lang be pairted No we winna lang be pairted
The pair were laid in yon kirk-yaird Aye she wis lain aside him And fae her hert there grew a rose And fae his hert a briar And fae his hert a briar
They grew up tae the bell tower tap Till they could grouw nae higher And there they’ve made a lovers knot The rose among the briar The rose among the briar
The tune gaen here wis collectit by Gavin Greig in New Deer, fae a wummin caed Mrs Cruickshank o Creciehill. In Professor Bronson’s book, it’s number 127 oot o the 198 tunes he found for this ballad, fae a ower Britain and North America.
