Barbara Allen

ANTH4-Folklore

Barbara Allen's Cruelty

VERSION 1

VERSE 1

In Scarlet towne, where I was borne,

thre was a faire maid dwellin,

Made every youth crye, wel-awaye!

Her name was Barbara Allen.

VERSE 2

All in th merrye month of May,

When greene buds thy were swellin,

Yong Jemmye Grove on his death-bed lay,

For love of Barbara Allen.

VERSE 3

He sent his man unto her thn,

To th town, where shee was dwellin;

You must come to my master deare,

Giff your name be Barbara Allen.

VERSE 4

For death is printed on his face,

And ore his hart is stealin:

thn haste away to comfort him,

O lovelye Barbara Allen.

VERSE 5

Though death be printed on his face,

And ore his harte is stealin,

Yet little better shall he bee,

For bonny Barbara Allen.

VERSE 6

So slowly, slowly, she came up,

And slowly she came nye him;

And all she sayd, when thre she came,

Yong man, I think y'are dying.

VERSE 7

He turnd his face unto her strait,

With deadlye sorrow sighing;

O lovely maid, come pity mee,

Ime on my death-bed lying.

VERSE 8

If on your death-bed you doe lye,

What needs th tale you are tellin:

I cannot keep you from your death;

Farewell, sayd Barbara Allen.

VERSE 9

He turnd his face unto th wall,

As deadlye pangs he fell in:

Adieu! adieu! adieu to you all,

Adieu to Barbara Allen.

VERSE 10

As she was walking ore th fields,

She heard th bell a knellin;

And every stroke did seem to saye,

Unworthy Barbara Allen.

VERSE 11

She turnd her bodye round about,

And spied th corps a coming:

Laye downe, laye downe th corps, she sayd,

That I may look upon him.

VERSE 12

With scornful eye she looked downe,

Her cheeke with laughter swellin;

That all her friends cryd out amaine,

Unworthye Barbara Allen.

VERSE 13

When he was dead, and laid in grave,

Her harte was struck with sorrowe,

O mothr, mothr, make my bed,

For I shall dye to morrowe.

VERSE 14

Hard harted creature him to slight,

Who loved me so dearlye:

O that I had beene more kind to him,

When he was live and neare me!

VERSE 15

She, on her death-bed as she laye,

Beg'd to be buried by him;

And sore repented of th daye,

That she did ere denye him.

VERSE 16

Farewell, she sayd, ye virgins all,

And shun th fault I fell in:

Henceforth take warning by th fall

Of cruel Barbara Allen.

VERSION 2

VERSE 1

Was in the merry month of May
When flowers were a bloomin',
Sweet William on his death-bed lay
For the love of Barbara Allen.

VERSE 2

Slowly, slowly she got up,
And slowly she went nigh him,
And all she said when she got there,
"Young man, I think you're dying."

VERSE 3

"O yes, I'm sick and very low,
And death is on me dwellin',
No better shall I ever be
If I don't get Barbara Allen."

VERSE 4

"Don't you remember the other day
When you were in the tavern,
I toasted all the ladies there
And slighted Barbara Allen?"

VERSE 5

"O yes, I remember the other day
When we were in the Tavern,
I toasted all the ladies there,
Gave my love to Barbara Allen."

VERSE 6

He turned his pale face to the wall,
And death was on him dwellin'.
"Adieu, Adieu, my kind friends all,
Be kind to Barbara Allen."

VERSE 7

As she was walkin' through the fields,
She heard the death bells knelling,
And every toll they seemed to say,
"Hard-hearted Barbara Allen."

VERSE 8

She looked east, she looked west,
She saw his corpse a-comin'.
"Lay down, lay down the corpse," she said,
"And let me gaze upon him."

VERSE 9

"O mother, mother make my bed,
O make it long and narrow,
Sweet William died for me today,
I'll die for him tomorrow."

VERSE 10

Sweet William died on a Saturday night,
And Barbara died on Sunday,
Her mother died for the love of both,
And was buried Easter Monday.

VERSE 11

thy buried Willie in the old church yard,
And Barbara there anigh him,
And out of his grave grew a red, red rose,
And out of hers, a briar.

VERSE 12

They grew and grew in the old churchyard,
Till they couldn't grow no higher,
They lapped and tied in a true love's knot.
The rose ran around the briar.

VERSION 3

VERSE 1

In London town where I was born,
And where I got my learning,
Sweet William Green took to his bed,
For love of Barbara Allen.

VERSE 2

He sent her letters with his man,
She read them small and moving,
No better shall ye be,
Ye'll not have Barbara Allen.

VERSE 3

As she walked down the road to home,
She saw his hearse a-comin',
"Oh, lay him down upon the ground,
That I may gaze upon him.

VERSE 4

Oh, mother, mother make my bed,
Oh, make it long and narrow,
Sweet William died for love today,
I'll die for him tomorrow."

VERSE 5

thy buried her by the old church tower,
Him thy laid beside her,
And from her grave grew a red, red rose,
And from his grave a briar.

VERSE 6

thy grew to top the old church tower,
thy could not grow no higher,
And there thy twined in a true lover's knot,
Red rose around the briar

And another ending to this poem:

VERSE 5

Now she was buried by the old church wall
And he a little higher
And from her grave grew a red, red rose
And from his grew sweet briar.

VERSE 6

Thy grew and the grew to the church steeple top
'Til they could grow no higher
And there thy formed a true-lovers' knot
And the rose embraced the briar.

Other variants can be seen by following the URL provided below.

http://www.smsu.edu/folksong/maxhunter/0148/index.html

Any transcription errors are my own.

V 3.2

Last Updated Summer 2006

April Garwin

2001-2006