"Oh where ha'e ye been, Lord Randall, my son!
And where ha'e ye been, my handsome young man!"
"I ha'e been to the wild wood: mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm wearied wi' hunting, and fain wald lie down."
"An wha met ye there, Lord Randall, my son?
An wha met you there, my handsome young man?"
"I dined wi my true-love; mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm wearied wi hunting, and fain wad lie doon."
"And what did she give you, Lord Randall, my son?
And what did she give you, my handsome young man?"
"Eels fried in broo; mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm wearied wi hunting, and fain wad lie doon."
"And wha gat your leavins, Lord Randall, my son?
And wha gat your leavins, my handsome young man?"
"My hawks and my hounds; mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm wearied wi hunting, and fain wad lie doon."
"What become a yer bloodhounds, Lord Randall, my son?
What become a yer bloodhounds, my handsome young man?"
"They swelled and they died; mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm weary wi huntin, and fain wad lie doon."
"O I fear ye are poisoned, Lord Randall, my son!
I fear ye are poisoned, my handsome young man!"
"O yes, I am poisoned; mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm sick at m' heart, and I fain wad lie doon."
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This ballad travelled to America and was passed down there in the oral tradition, then collected in the Appalations in the 19th century. Lord Randall had become Jimmy Randall, but otherwise it was the same.
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There are several more stanzas to this. . They pertain to what he leaves behind in his will.
We studied this ballad in my British Literature class. =) -
I agree, it's Scottish dialect/narrative/usage of English. Notably there is no discourse with Mother, either from Father or Son, only instruction.Perhaps the first stanza has been misprinted, it ends in down instead of doon, doon is the pronounciation of down, every other verse end -lines in son, man, soon, doon.
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traditional ballad
Its a is a narrative song, the story of a man who has been poisoned by his lover.It is a traditional Scottish ballad. Scholars believe its original source to be an Italian ballad, “L’Avvelenato.”
One of a very melodious and sad song -
Classic
This is an old classical ballad. Some of the words have their old phonetic spellings, and these are the original sounds as sung by the ballad singers.I Think he was not poisoned by his mother but his love. The mother was crying for her son's tragedy. Sometimes the tragedies makes something extra beautiful and so a Classic. -
This poem is amazing!!!!! She poisons her son, how crazy!!!
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