Katharine Jaffrey (Child 221) - Ewan MacColl

Описание: Katharine Johnston / The Green Wedding / Katharine Jaffray (Child No. 221) - Sung by Ewan MacColl on "Poetry and Song, Vol. 5" (1966).

Note by Kevin W.:
Text and tune are taken from Gavin Greig. This tune was used by A.L. Lloyd for his Anglicized arrangement of The Two Magicians (Child No. 44).

I was surprised when I heard a recent traditional variant of this ballad from the singing of Joe Rae of Ayrshire not long ago as both tune and text are quite different from this version. Then there's also "The Green Wedding", which appears to be an Irish adaption of the ballad. I may add some versions of that in the future.

You can listen to Joe's version here:    • Katharine Johnston (Child 221) - Joe Rae  

Song transcription to be corrected:

Lochnagar came from the West, out from the low country,
And he's courted Katherine Jaffray, and won her heart away.

And then there came one Amosdale, down from the North country,
And he has won her father's heart, and her mother's too.

A bridal day it then was set, and the bridal day came on,
And who appeared among the guests but Lochnagar himself.

A glass was filled with gude red wine, well drunk between them twa,
Says he, I'll drink wi' you, bridegroom, and soon boun' me awa'.

A few words wi' your bridemaiden, I hope you'll grant me then,
I'm sure before her wedding day I would have gotten ten.

And then oot spoke the first groomsman, and an angry man was he;
Says, I will keep my bonnie bride, until the sun gae tee.

Until the sun gae tee, he said, until the sun gae tee;
And deliver her over to her bridegroom, which is my duty to dee.

But he's ta'en her by the middle jimp, and he never stopped to ca',
He's ta'en her by the milk-white hand, and led her thro' the ha'.

He's leaned across the saiddlebow, and he's kissed her cheek and chin,
And he waved to all of them goodnight, and heisted her ahin.

He drew a trumpet from his breist, and he blew both loud and shrill,
A hunner o' well-armed men came Lochnagar until.

A hunner o' well-armed men, on milk-white steeds and gray,
A hunner o' well-armed men, upon his wedding day.

Horsemen rode and bridesmen ran and ladies in full speed,
But you would not ha' seen his yello' locks, for the dust of his horse's feet.

She's turned around in the saiddlebow and addressed her late bridegroom,
Says, the compliments I got from you, I'll return them back again.

So Katherine Jaffray was married at morn, and she was married at noon,
She was twice-married in a day, ere she cast off her goon.