ANONYMOUS (1100-2010)
Barbara Allan
1It was in and about the Martinmas time,
2 When the green leaves were a falling,
3That Sir John Græme, in the West Country,
4 Fell in love with Barbara Allan.
5He sent his men down through the town,
6 To the place where she was dwelling:
7“O haste and come to my master dear,
8 Gin ye be Barbara Allan.”
9O hooly, hooly rose she up,
10 To the place where he was lying,
11And when she drew the curtain by,
12 “Young man, I think you ’re dying.”
13“O it ’s I ’m sick, and very, very sick,
14 And ’t is a’ for Barbara Allan:”
15“O the better for me ye ’s never be,
16 Tho your heart’s blood were a spilling.
17“O dinna ye mind, young man,” said she,
18 “When ye was in the tavern a drinking,
19That ye made the healths gae round and round,
20 And slighted Barbara Allan?”
21He turnd his face unto the wall,
22 And death was with him dealing:
23“Adieu, adieu, my dear friends all,
24 And be kind to Barbara Allan.”
25And slowly, slowly raise she up,
26 And slowly, slowly left him,
27And sighing said, she coud not stay,
28 Since death of life had reft him.
29She had not gane a mile but twa,
30 When she heard the dead-bell ringing,
31And every jow that the dead-bell geid,
32 It cry’d, Woe to Barbara Allan!
33“O mother, mother, make my bed!
34 O make it saft and narrow!
35Since my love died for me to-day,
36 I ’ll die for him to-morrow.”
Notes
1] Martinmas: November 11, the feast of St. Martin.
8] Gin: if.
9] hooly: slowly.
14] a': all.
16] Tho: although.
17] dinna: don't.
19] gae: go.
29] gane: gone. twa: two.
31] jow: stroke. geid: gave.
34] saft: soft.
Online text copyright © 2010, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.
Original text: The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, ed.
Francis James Child, 5 vols. (1884-1898; New York:
Dover, 1965), II: 276-77 (84A), from Tea-Table Miscellany (1763): 343.
First publication date:
1740
Publication date note: First printed The Tea-Table Miscellany (1740):
IV, 46.
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: 2002
Recent editing: 1:2002/5/11
Composition date:
1500
-
1660
Composition date note: Child notes that Pepys heard Mrs. Knipp, an actress, sing "her little Scotch song of Barbary Allen" on Jan. 6, 1666 (II, 276).
Form: ballad quatrain
Rhyme: abcb
Form note: The sixth stanza rhymes abab.
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