The Green Wedding (Child 221) - Rod Stradling

Описание: Katharine Johnston / The Green Wedding / Katharine Jaffray (Child No. 221) - Sung by Rod Stradling on "Songs from the Golden Fleece" (2005) Musical Traditions MTCD335-6.

For more info on how this fine version came to be have a look here: https://www.mustrad.org.uk/songbook/g...

Song transcription:

There was a squire lived in the West,
A squire of high degree.
He has won the heart of a lady gay,
Though fortune small had he.
But when her father he come to know,
Oh, an angry man was he;
He's ordered of his daughter dear
To shun such company.

And there was a rich lord he lived nearby,
He had one handsome young son
Come a-courting of this lady gay,
Though wooing he gave her none.
But he's wooed her father, he's wooed her kin,
And I have heard men say
That he never did woo the lass herself
Before their wedding day.
He's gained consent of her father and mother,
And old and young likewise,
Until she cries "Oh, I am undone"
And the tears fell from her eyes.

She's wrote a letter to the squire
To let him understand
"This very day I am forced to wed
Unto this rich lord's son."
Well, the first few lines that he read o’er,
He smiled and thus did say,
"I might deprive him of his bride
All on his wedding day."
He's wrote her back another letter
"Be sure to dress all in green.
And a suit of the same, love, I will put on;
At your wedding I'll be seen.
A suit of the same I will put on;
To your wedding I'll repair.
My dearest dear, I'll have you yet,
In spite of all that is there"

He's lookèd East, he's lookèd West,
He's lookèd over all his lands.
He's gathered then a score of men
All for to join his plan.
He's mounted two on every steed,
Though a single man rode he,
Then up and away to the wedding house
Went the company dressed all in green

And when they've come to the wedding house,
They unto him did say,
"You're welcome, Sir, you're welcome here,
But are you alone this day?"
He's laughed at them, he's scorned at them,
He smiled and thus did say,
"For you might have seen my green-clad troops
Come riding out this way."

Then the squire he took up a glass of wine,
He's filled it to the brim.
"Here is a health unto that man;
The man they call the groom.
Here is a health unto the man
That would enjoy his bride;
Though another might love her twice as well
And steal her from his side."

Then up and spoke that rich young lord,
Oh, an angry man was he,
"If it's to fight that you come here,
Then I'm the man for thee."
"Well, it's not to fight that I come here,
But only friendship for to show.
Give me one word of your bonny young bride
And away from you I will go."

Well the very first word he spoke to her,
Her answer it was “Nay.”
And the very next words he spoke to her,
Was, “Mount and come away!”
He's took her by the middle so small
And by the grass-green sleeve,
He's led her out of the wedding house,
Nor asked of any, leave.
And the trumpets blew and the flags they flew,
So glorious to be seen;
Then over the hills and far away
Went the company dressed all in green.
The wedding guests, they scorned at him;
They smiled and thus did say
"Well, it must have been some fairy troop
That stole your bride away."