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There was an old man lived out in the wood, And his trade was a-cutting of broom, green broom, He had but one son without thought without good Who lay in his bed till 't was noon, bright noon. The old man awoke one morning and spoke, He swore he would fire the room, that room, If his John would not rise and open his eyes, And away to the wood to cut broom, green broom. So Johnny arose and slipp'd on his clothes And away to the wood to cut broom, green broom, He sharpen'd his knives, and for once he contrives To cut a great bundle of broom, green broom. When Johnny pass'd under a Lady's fine house, Pass'd under a Lady's fine room, fine room, She call'd to her maid: "Go fetch me," she said, "Go fetch me the boy that sells broom, green broom!" When Johnny came into the Lady's fine house, And stood in the Lady's fine room, fine room, "Young Johnny" she said, "Will you give up your trade And marry a lady in bloom, full bloom?" Johnny gave his consent, and to church they both went, And he wedded the Lady in bloom, full bloom; At market and fair, all folks do declare, There's none like the Boy that sold broom, green broom.
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 (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "The Ballad of Green Broom", 1950, from Five Flower Songs, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Wijtse Rodenburg) , "Brem, groene Brem...", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Die Ballade vom Besenginster", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 220
Einst lebte ein alter Mann draußen im Wald, schnitt täglich den Ginster mit Emsigkeit, sein einz'ger Sohn trug nichts bei zum Unterhalt lag täglich im Bett bis zur Mittagszeit. Ein’s Morgens erwachte der Alte und sprach ich schwöre, dem Burschen heize ich ein, wenn er nicht wird künftig beizeiten wach und auch schneidet Ginster tagaus und tagein. So stand Johnny auf, zog sich an gleich darauf und eilte zum Ginsterbusch in den Wald er wetzte sein Messer, auf dass es schneid' besser ein großes Bündel Ginster im Wald. Als er zog am Haus einer Dame vorbei, am Zimmer der Dame vorbei im Lauf, rief sie ihre Magd: Hol den Burschen herbei, den Burschen, der den Ginster verkauft!“ Als Johnny ins Haus der Schönen eintrat und weiter ins Zimmer der Schönen geht, sprach sie: „Lass den Ginster sein, so mein Rat und nimm dir ’ne Frau, die in Blüte steht!“ John willigte ein, zur Kirch’ ging’s zu zwein, er schritt mit der Schönen zum Traualtar. Auf Jahrmarkt und Messen gab man zum besten: ’s ist keiner wie der Bursch, der im Ginster war.
Authorship:
- Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2020 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann.  Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
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Based on:
- a text in English by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist
This text was added to the website: 2020-02-26
Line count: 24
Word count: 182