by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
A wooing song of a yeoman of Kent’s son
Language: English
I have house and land in Kent, And if you’ll love me, love me now; Twopence-halfpenny is my rent, I cannot come every day to woo. Chorus. Twopence-halfpenny is his rent, And he cannot come every day to woo. Ich am my vather’s eldest zonne, My mother eke doth love me well, For ich can bravely clout my shoone, And ich full well can ring a bell. Chorus. For he can bravely clout his shoone, And he full well can ring a bell. My vather he gave me a hog, My mouther she gave me a zow; I have a God-vather dwels thereby, And he on me bestowed a plow. Chorus. He has a God-vather dwells thereby, And he on him bestowed a plough. One time I gave thee a paper of pins, Another time a tawdry-lace; And if thou wilt not grant me love, In truth ich die bevore thy face. Chorus. And if thou wilt not grant his love, In truth he’ll die bevore thy vace. Ich have been twice our Whitson-lord, Ich have had ladies many vair, And eke thou hast my heart in hold And in my mind zeems passing rare. Chorus. And eke thou hast his heart in hold And in his mind seems passing rare. Ich will put on my best white slops And ich will wear my yellow hose, And on my head a good grey hat, And in’t ich stick a lovely rose. Chorus. And on his head a good grey hat, And in’t he’ll stick a lovely rose. Wherefore cease off, make no delay, And if you’ll love me, love me now; Or else ich zeek zome oderwhere, For I cannot come every day to woo. Chorus. Or else he’ll zeek zome oderwhere, For he cannot come every day to woo.
Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Thomas Ravenscroft (c1582 - c1635), "A wooing song of a yeoman of Kent’s son", published 1611, from Melismata; Musical Fancies fitting the court, city, and country humoursMelismata; Musical Fancies fitting the court, city, and country humours [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2014-02-23
Line count: 42
Word count: 300