Вообще, английские баллады люблю. Личный фаворит нумеро уно - баллада о двух сестрах, печальная, ужасно медитативная и продолжительностью минут в семь, если медленно петь. Интересно, что в одном из вариантов рефрен - lay the bent to the bonny broom - взят из другой баллады, а так - обычно это что-то вроде "у славных мельниц Биннори/Миннори/...".
CRUEL SISTERThere were two sisters sat in a bour,
Binnorie, О Binnorie;
There came a knight to be their wooer,
By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.
He courted the eldest with glove and ring
But he lo'ed the youngest aboon a' thing.
He courted the eldest with broach and knife,
But he lo'ed the youngest abune his life.
The eldest she was vexed sair,
And sore envied her sister fair.
The eldest said to the youngest ane,
Will ye go and see our father's ships come in?
She's ta'en her by the lilly hand
And led her down to the river strand.
The youngest stude upon a stane,
The eldest came and pushed her in.
She took her by the middle sma,
And dashed her bonnie back to the jaw.
О sister, sister reach your hand,
And I'll be heir of half my land.
О sister, I'll not reach my hand,
And I'll be heir of all your land.
Shame fa' the hand that should take,
It's twid'd me and my word's make.
О sister, reach me but your glove,
And sweet William shall be your love.
Sink on, nor hope for hand or glove,
And sweet William shall better be my love.
Your cherry cheeks and your yellow hair
Garr'd me gang maiden evermair.
Sometimes she sunk and sometimes she swam,
Until she came to the miller's dam.
О father, father, draw your dam,
There's either a mermaid or a milk-white swan.
The miller hasten and drew his dam,
And there he found a drown'd woman.
You could not see her yellow hair,
For gowd and pearls that were sae rare.
You could na see her middle sma'
Her gowden girdle was sae bra'
A famous harper passing by,
The sweet pale face he chanced to spy.
And when he looked that ladye on,
He sighed and made a heavy moan.
He made a harp of her breast bone,
Whose sounds would melt a heart of stone.
The strings he framed of her yellow hair,
Whose notes made sad the listening ear.
He brought it to her father's hall,
And there was the court assembled all.
He laid this harp upon a stone,
And straight it began to play alone.
О yonder sits my father the king,
And yonder sits my mother the queen.
And yonder stands my brother Hugh,
And by him my William sweet and true.
But the last tune that the harp play ‘d then,
Binnorie, О Binnorie
Was, Woe to my sister, false Helen,
By the bonny milldams of Binnorie.Второй фаворит - баллада про двух волшебников, не столько из-за мелодии, сколько из-за смысла. Смысл прекрасен.
THE TWO MAGICIANSThe lady stands in her bower (boudoir) door
As straight as willow wand;
The blacksmith stood a little foreby (aside)
Wi' hammer in his hand.
"Weel may ye dress ye, lady fair,
Into your robes о 'red;
Before the morn at this same time
I’ll gain your maidenhead".
"Awa, awa, ye coal-black smith,
Would ye do me the wrang?
To think to gain my maidenhead
That 1 hae (have) kept sae lang (so long)?"
Then she has hadden (held) up her hand
And she sware by mold (earth):
"I wu'dna be a blacksmith's wife
For the full о 'a chest о 'gold.
I 'd rather I were dead and gone
And my body laid in grave,
Ere a rusty stock о 'coal-black smith
My maidenhead should have."
But he has hadden up his hand
And he sware by the mass:
"I’ll cause ye be my light leman (lover)
For the hauf o' that and less."
"0 bide, lady, bide (wait);
And aye (always) he bade her bide;
The rusty smith your leman shall be
For a 'your muckle pride ".
Then she became a turtle-dove
To fly up in the air,
And he became another dove
And they flew pair in pair.
"0 bide, lady, bide, etc.
She turned herself into an eel
To swim into yon burn (brook)
And he became a speckled trout
To gie the eel a turn.
"0 bide, lady, bide, etc.
Then she became a duck, a duck,
To puddle in a peel (pond),
And he became a rose-kaim’d (red-combed) drake
To gie the duck a dreel (doing-over).
"0 bide, lady, bide, etc.
She turned herself into a hare
To run upon yon hill,
And he became a gude (good) greyhound
And boldly he did fill (perform, fulfill).
"0 bide, lady, bide, etc.
Then she became a gay grey mare
And stood in yonder slack (hollow),
And he became a gilt saddle
And sat upon her back.
Was she wae (wonderful), he held her sae (so),
And still he bade her bide:
The rusty smith her leman was
For a 'her muckle pride.
Then she became a het girdle (hot griddle)
And he became a cake,
And a' the ways she turned herself
The blacksmith was her make.
Was she wae, etc
She turned herself into a ship
To sail out ower the flood,
He ca 'd (drove) a nail infill(into) her tail (stern)
And syne (then) the ship she stood.
Was she wae, etc.
Then she became a silken plaid
And stretched upon a bed,
And he became a green covering
And gained her maidehead.Или смешная песня про жену фермера, которую забрал дьявол, а потом в ужасе вернул, потому что она построила всех чертей, его и стала ими всеми командовать. Аудиофайла не имеется.
THE FARMER’S CURST WIFEThere was an old farmer in Sussex did dwell,
(Chorus of whistlers)
There was an old farmer in Sussex did dwell.
And he had a bad wife, as many knew well.
(Chorus of whistlers)
Then Satan came to the old man at the plow:
"One of your family I must have now.
"It is not your eldest son that I crave,
But it is your old wife, and she I will have."
"O, welcome, good Satan, with all my heart!
I hope you and she will never more part "
Now Satan has got the old wife on his back,
And he lugged her along like a pedlar s pack.
He trudged away till they came to his hall-gate;
Says he, "Here take in an old Sussex chap's mate."
О then she did kick the young imps about;
Says one to the other, " Let s try turn her out."
She spied thirteen imps all dancing in chains,
She up with her patterns and beat out their brains.
She knocked the old Satan against the wall:
“Let’s turn her out, or she’ll murder us all.”
Now he’s bundled her up on his back amain,
And to her old husband he took her again.
“I have been a tormentor the whole of my life,
But I ne’er was tormented so as with your wife”.А еще есть хорошая песня про лодочника, который уплыл и не вернулся, подозреваю, что шотландская, поскольку ее поют и Silly Wizard.
FHEAR-A-BHATAHow often haunting the highest hilltop
I scan the ocean, a sail to see
Will it come tonight, love, will it come tomorrow
Or ever come, love, to comfort me
Fear-a-uata, no horoway-la
Fear-a-uata, no horoway-la
Fear-a-uata, no horoway-la
O fare thee well, love, where'er thou be
They call thee fickle, they call thee false one
And seek to change me but all in vain
Thou art my dream yet throughout the dark night
And every moment I watch the main
There's not a hamlet, too well I know it,
Where you go wandering or stay awhile
But all its old folk you win with talking
And charm its maidens with song and smile
Doth thou remember the promise made me,
A token plead, a silken gown
That ring of gold with your hair and portrait
That gown and ring I will never own