Representative Poetry Online
  Poet Index Poem Index Random Search
  Introduction Timeline Calendar Glossary Criticism Bibliography
  RPO Canadian Poetry UTEL
by Name
by Date
by Title
by First Line
by Last Line
Poet
Poem
Short poem
Keyword
Concordance

ANONYMOUS (1100-2010)

The Three Ravens


              1There were three ravens sat on a tree,
              2They were as black as they might be.

              3The one of them said to his mate,
              4'Where shall we our breakefast take?'

              5'Downe in yonder greene field,
              6There lies a knight slain under his shield.

              7'His hounds they lie downe at his feete,
              8So well they can their master keepe.

              9'His haukes they flie so eagerly,
            10There's no fowle dare come him nie.'

            11Downe there comes a fallow doe,
            12As great with yong as she might goe.

            13She lift up his bloudy hed,
            14And kist his wounds that were so red.

            15She got him up upon her backe,
            16And carried him to earthen lake.

            17She buried him before the prime,
            18She was dead herselfe ere even-song time.

            19God send every gentleman,
            20Such haukes, such hounds, and such a leman.

Notes

1] This ballad was first printed in Ravenscroft's Melismata, a song-book of 1611, and variant versions were recorded as late as the 19th century. It is the only English ballad in this collection.

The ballad has a refrain, "Downe a downe, hay down, hay downe", etc. alternating with the lines.

11] a fallow doe. The knight's lady is meant.

16] lack. Pit.

17] prime. The first hour of the day.

20] leman. Sweetheart.

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: Thomas Ravencroft, Pammelia. Deutromelia. Milsmata, ed. Mac-Edward Leach, facsimile reprint of 1609 and 1611 first editions (Philadelphia: American Folklore Society, 1961). M 2 R2P3 MUSI
First publication date: 1611
RPO poem editor: W. J. Alexander, William Hall Clawson
RP edition: RP (1912), pp. 16-17; RPO 1997.
Recent editing: 2:2002/5/8

Form: couplets

Other poems by ANONYMOUS

Your comments and questions are welcomed.
All contents copyright © Ian Lancashire (Department of English) and the University of Toronto
RPO is hosted by the University of Toronto Libraries.