Sunday, May 20, 2012
Barbary Allen -- 1666
Speranza
1666
arr. Quilter
in Scarlet town where I was born
there was a fair maid dwellin’
made ev'ry youth cry well-a-day
her name was Barb'ra Allen.
all in the merry month of May
when green buds they were swellin',
young Jemmy Grove on his death-bed lay
for love of Barb'ra Allen.
then slowly, slowly she came up,
and slowly she came nigh him,
and all she said when there she came
"young man, I think you're dying".
as she was walking o'er the fields
she heard the dead-bell knellin',
and ev'ry stroke the dead-bell gave
cried "Woe to Barb'ra Allen!"
when he was dead and laid in grave
her heart was struck with sorrow.
"O mother, mother, make my bed,
for I shall die tomorrow."
"farewell," she said, "ye virgins all,
and shun the fault I fell in;
henceforth take warning by the fall
of cruel Barb'ra Allen."
The earliest known mention of "Barbara Allen" is in Samuel Pepys' diary for January 2. 1666 where he refers to the “little Scotch song of 'Barbary Allen'”. Arranged by Roger Quilter in 1921.
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