The Sweet Nightingale

Sung and accompanied on concertina by Emily Portman, Tyneside: On Autumn Harvest ah011: Old Songs & Bothy Ballads 8: The Little Ball of Yarn Live from the Fife Traditional Singing Festival May 2011.

The song was first published in Robert Bell's Ancient Poems of the Peasantry of England (1857) with the note: “This curious ditty—said to be a translation from the ancient Cornish tongue … we first heard in Germany … from four Cornish miners, who were at that time, 1854, employed at some lead mines near the town of Zell. Emily's somewhat different version comes from the singing of xxxxxxxx. The song is not the innocent pastoral idyll that it looks at first glance - to “hear the nightingale sing” is clearly a euphemism for lovemaking in the same way that the Cuckoo's Nest is euphemistic in the well known Scottish song. Perhaps from JFSS 6 (1918) from a Mr Baker in Surrey? Roud 371

1: "Well met pretty maid and be not afraid,
I mean you no mischief I vow."
"What is it you will?" "Come give me your pail,
I'll take it safe home to your cow, cow,
I'll take it safe home to your cow."

2: "O leave me alone, I've hands of my own,
I need none of your assistance I vow;
I vow and protest, I'll never be kissed,
By such a proud fellow as thou, thou,
By such a proud fellow as thou."

3: "Well hark, my love hark, for yonder's the lark,
She warbles and pleases me so;
And the beautiful tale of the sweet nightingale,
As she sings in the valley below-ow-ow-ow,
As she sings in the valley below."

4: "And down in yonder grove there sits an old crone,
And violets around her do spring;
Just by in a bush, there sits a song thrush,
It'll charm you to hear how she sings, whistles and sings,
It'll charm you to hear how she sings."

5: So they both did agree, next morning with speed,
To get married as soon as 'twas day;
Now she no more's afraid to go down to the shade,
To hear the birds whistle and sing, whistle and sing,
To hear the birds whistle and sing, whistle and sing,
To hear the birds whistle and sing.

c p 2012 Autumn Harvest : www.springthyme.co.uk