P.C. Home Page . News and Recent Additions

Poets: A B . C D . E F . G H . I J . K L . M N . O P . Q R . S T . U V . W X . Y Z

The Jolly Waggoner

[This country song can be traced back a century at least, but is, no doubt, much older. It is very popular in the West of England. The words are spirited and characteristic. We may, perhaps, refer the song to the days of transition, when the waggon displaced the packhorse.]

When first I went a-waggoning, a-waggoning did go,

I filled my parents' hearts full of sorrow, grief, and woe.

And many are the hardships that I have since gone through.

And sing wo, my lads, sing wo!

Drive on my lads, I-ho!

And who wouldn't lead the life of a jolly waggoner?

It is a cold and stormy night, and I'm wet to the skin,

I will bear it with contentment till I get unto the inn.

And then I'll get a drinking with the landlord and his kin.

And sing, &c.

Now summer it is coming, - what pleasure we shall see;

The small birds are a-singing on every green tree,

The blackbirds and the thrushes are a-whistling merrilie.

And sing, &c.

Now Michaelmas is coming, - what pleasure we shall find;

It will make the gold to fly, my boys, like chaff before the wind;

And every lad shall take his lass, so loving and so kind.

And sing, &c.

The Greenside Wakes Song

`'Tis Greenside wakes, we've come to the town

To show you some sport of great renown;

And if my old wife will let me begin,

I'll show you how fast and how well I can spin.

Tread the wheel, tread the wheel, den, don, dell O.'

`Thou brags of thyself, but I don't think it true,

For I will uphold thy faults are not a few;

For when thou hast done, and spun very hard,

Of this I'm well sure, thy work is ill marred.

Tread the wheel, tread the wheel, den, don, dell O.'

`Thou'rt a saucy old jade, and pray hold thy tongue,

Or I shall be thumping thee ere it be long;

And if that I do, I shall make thee to rue,

For I can have many a one as good as you.

Tread the wheel, tread the wheel, dan, don, dell O.'

`What is it to me who you can have?

I shall not be long ere I'm laid in my grave;

And when I am dead you may find if you can,

One that'll spin as hard as I've done.

Tread the wheel, tread the wheel, dan, don, dell O.'

`Come, come, my dear wife, here endeth my song,

I hope it has pleased this numerous throng;

But if it has missed, you need not to fear,

We'll do our endeavour to please them next year.

Tread the wheel, tread the wheel, dan, don, dell O.'

Gloucestershire Wassailers' Song

'Stair on the wold,
Where the winds blow cold,'

Wassail! wassail! all over the town,

Our toast it is white, and our ale it is brown;

Our bowl is made of a maplin tree;

We be good fellows all; - I drink to thee.

Here's to our horse, and to his right ear,

God send our measter a happy new year:

A happy new year as e'er he did see, -

With my wassailing bowl I drink to thee.

Here's to our mare, and to her right eye,

God send our mistress a good Christmas pie;

A good Christmas pie as e'er I did see, -

With my wassailing bowl I drink to thee.

Here's to our cow, and to her long tail,

God send our measter us never may fail

Of a cup of good beer: I pray you draw near,

And our jolly wassail it's then you shall hear.

Be here any maids? I suppose here be some;

Sure they will not let young men stand on the cold stone!

Sing hey O, maids! come trole back the pin,

And the fairest maid in the house let us all in.

Come, butler, come, bring us a bowl of the best;

I hope your soul in heaven will rest;

But if you do bring us a bowl of the small,

Then down fall butler, and bowl and all.

Old Wichet and His Wife

O! I went into the stable, and there for to see,

And there I saw three horses stand, by one, by two, and by three;

O! I called to my loving wife, and 'Anon, kind sir!' quoth she;

'O! what do these three horses here, without the leave of me?'

'Why, you old fool! blind fool! can't you very well see,

These are three milking cows my mother sent to me?'

'Ods bobs! well done! milking cows with saddles on!

The like was never known!'

Old Wichet a cuckold went out, and a cuckold he came home!

O! I went into the kitchen, and there for to see,

And there I saw three swords hang, by one, by two, quoth she;

O! I called to my loving wife, and 'Anon, kind sir!'

'O! what do these three swords do here, without the leave of me?'

'Why, you old fool! blind fool! can't you very well see,

These are three roasting spits my mother sent to me?'

'Ods bobs! well done! roasting spits with scabbards on!

The like was never known!'

Old Wichet a cuckold went out, and a cuckold he came home!

O! I went into the parlour, and there for to see,

And there I saw three cloaks hang, by one, by two, and by three;

O! I called to my loving wife, and 'Anon, kind sir!' quoth she;

'O! what do these three cloaks do here, without the leave of me?'

'Why, you old fool! blind fool! can't you very well see,

These are three mantuas my mother sent to me?'

'Ods bobs! well done! mantuas with capes on!

The like was never known!'

Old Wichet a cuckold went out, and a cuckold he came home!

O! I went into the pantry, and there for to see,

And there I saw three pair of boots, by one, by two, and by three;

O! I called to my loving wife, and 'Anon, kind sir!' quoth she;

'O! what do these three pair of boots here, without the leave of

me?'

'Why, you old fool! blind fool! can't you very well see,

These are three pudding-bags my mother sent to me?'

'Ods bobs! well done! pudding-bags with spurs on!

The like was never known!'

Old Wichet a cuckold went out, and a cuckold he came home!

O! I went into the dairy, and there for to see,

And there I saw three hats hang, by one, by two, and by three;

O! I called to my loving wife, and 'Anon, kind sir!' quoth she;

'Pray what do these three hats here, without the leave of me?'

'Why, you old fool! blind fool! can't you very well see,

These are three skimming-dishes my mother sent to me?'

'Ods bobs! well done! skimming-dishes with hat-bands on!

The like was never known!'

Old Wichet a cuckold went out, and a cuckold he came home!

O! I went into the chamber, and there for to see,

And there I saw three men in bed, by one, by two, and by three;

O! I called to my loving wife, and 'Anon, kind sir!' quoth she;

'O! what do these three men here, without the leave of me?'

'Why, you old fool! blind fool! can't you very well see,

They are three milking-maids my mother sent to me?'

'Ods bobs! well done! milking-maids with beards on!

The like was never known!'

Old Wichet a cuckold went out, and a cuckold he came home!

Wooing Song of a Yeoman of Kent's Sonne

'I hae laid a herring in saut;
Lass, 'gin ye lo'e me, tell me now!
I ha'e brewed a forpit o' maut,
An' I canna come ilka day to woo.'

Icj have house and land in Kent,

And if you'll love me, love me now;

Two-pence half-penny is my rent, -

Ich cannot come every day to woo.

Chorus. Two-pence half-penny is his rent,

And he cannot come every day to woo.

Ich am my vather's eldest zonne,

My mouther eke doth love me well!

For Ich can bravely clout my shoone,

And Ich full-well can ring a bell.

Cho. For he can bravely clout his shoone,

And he full well can ring a bell.

My vather he gave me a hogge,

My mouther she gave me a zow;

Ich have a god-vather dwells there by,

And he on me bestowed a plow.

Cho. He has a god-vather dwells there by,

And he on him bestowed a plow.

One time Ich gave thee a paper of pins,

Anoder time a taudry lace;

And if thou wilt not grant me love,

In truth Ich die bevore thy vace.

Cho. And if thou wilt not grant his love,

In truth he'll die bevore thy vace.

Ich have been twice our Whitson Lord,

Ich have had ladies many vare;

And eke thou hast my heart in hold,

And in my minde zeemes passing rare.

Cho. And eke thou hast his heart in hold,

And in his minde zeemes passing rare.

Ich will put on my best white sloppe,

And Ich will weare my yellow hose;

And on my head a good gray hat,

And in't Ich sticke a lovely rose.

Cho. And on his head a good grey hat,

And in't he'll stick a lovely rose.

Wherefore cease off, make no delay,

And if you'll love me, love me now;

Or els Ich zeeke zome oder where, -

For Ich cannot come every day to woo.

Cho. Or else he'll zeeke zome oder where,

For he cannot come every day to woo.

The Young Man's Wish

If I could but attain my wish,

I'd have each day one wholesome dish,

Of plain meat, or fowl, or fish.

A glass of port, with good old beer,

In winter time a fire burnt clear,

Tobacco, pipes, an easy chair.

In some clean town a snug retreat,

A little garden 'fore my gate,

With thousand pounds a year estate.

After my house expense was clear,

Whatever I could have to spare,

The neighbouring poor should freely share.

To keep content and peace through life,

I'd have a prudent cleanly wife,

Stranger to noise, and eke to strife.

Then I, when blest with such estate,

With such a house, and such a mate,

Would envy not the worldly great.

Let them for noisy honours try,

Let them seek worldly praise, while I

Unnoticed would live and die.

But since dame Fortune's not thought fit

To place me in affluence, yet

I'll be content with what I get.

He's happiest far whose humble mind,

Is unto Providence resigned,

And thinketh fortune always kind.

Then I will strive to bound my wish,

And take, instead of fowl and fish,

Whate'er is thrown into my dish.

Instead of wealth and fortune great,

Garden and house and loving mate,

I'll rest content in servile state.

I'll from each folly strive to fly,

Each virtue to attain I'll try,

And live as I would wish to die.

Poets' Corner - Home   |    The Other Pages

©1994-2020 Poets' Corner Editorial Staff, All Rights Reserved Worldwide