Tam Lin Balladry

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Tam Lin: Digital Traditions

Source: Digital Traditions

cites: Michael Cooney.

text matches version fromThe Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads by Bertrand Harris Bronson, 1952, which cites Scarborough, 1937, p. 422; text, pp. 251-54. Sung by Margaret Widdemer, c. 1932.

Title: Tamlyn

Site reference number: 15

Summary

May Margery leaves her sewing bower to travel to the forbidden woods of Cartershay to pluck roses. There she encounters Tamlin, who ravages her, and leaves her alone in the woods, calling for him. She then travels home, where her waiting maid observes she is pregnant, and her mother advises an herbal abortive agent. She returns to the woods to fetch it, and again encounters Tam Lin, who inquires about her pregnancy. She asks him if he is mortal, and he tells her how he was captured by the faeries and is now under threat of sacrifice. He further informs her of how she can save him, by pulling him from the troop and holding him while he transforms, whish she does, to the anger of the Queen of faeries.

Tamlyn

  1. Oh, I forbid you maidens all
    That wear gold in your hair
    To come or go by Cartershay
    For young Tamlin is there, my love
    For young Tamlin is there
  2. There's none that go by Cartershay
    But they leave him a wad
    Either their rings or their green mantles
    Or else their maidenheads
  3. May Margery sat in her castle tower
    Sewing her silken seam
    She looked from out her high window
    And she saw the leaves growing green
  4. She's let the seams drop to her foot
    The needle to her toe
    And she's away to Cartershay
    As fast as she can go
  5. She had not pulled a red, red rose
    A rose but barely three
    When up there started young Tamlin
    Says, Let the roses be
  6. Why pulls thou the rose, Margaret?
    And why breakest thou the wand?
    And why comes thou to Cartershay
    Withouten my command?
  7. Cartershay it is my own;
    My father gave it me
    And I will go to Cartershay
    And ask no leave of thee
  8. He's taken her by the milk-white hand
    Among the leaves so green
    And what they did I cannot say
    The green leaves were between
  9. Now since you've had your will of me
    Come tell to me your name
    But she nothing heard and nothing saw
    And all the woods grew dim
  10. May Margery's kilted her green, green skirt
    A little above her knee
    And she is to her father's hall
    As fast as she can hie
  11. Four and twenty ladies fair
    Were playing at the ball
    And out it's come Lady Margaret
    Who was once the flower of all
  12. Four and twenty ladies fair
    Were playing at the chess
    And out it's come Lady Margaret
    As green as any glass
  13. Out then spoke her old waiting maid
    And she spoke meek and mild
    And ever alas, sweet Margaret, she says
    I think thou goes with child
  14. Out then spoke an old grey knight
    Lay over the castle wall
    And ever alas, fair Margaret, for thee
    But we'll be blamed for all
  15. Oh hold your tongue, you ill-faced knight
    Some ill death may you die
    Father my child on whom I will
    I'll father none on thee
  16. Out then spoke her old father dear
    And he spoke meek and mild
    And ever alas, fair Margaret, he says
    I think thou goes with child
  17. If that I go with child, Father,
    Myself must bear the blame
    There's ne'er a lord about your hall
    Shall get the baby's name
  18. If my true love were an earthly knight
    As he's an elfin grey
    I would not give my own true love
    For any lord here today
  19. The horse that my true love rides on
    Is lighter than the wind
    With silver he is shod before
    With burning gold behind
  20. Out then spoke her mother dear
    And ever alas, said she
    I know an herb in the merry green wood
    That will scathe thy babe from thee
  21. May Margery's braided her yellow hair
    A little above her breast
    And she's away to Cartershay
    Without a moment's rest
  22. She had not pulled at Cartershay
    An herb but barely one
    'Till up there started young Tamlin
    Says, Leave the herbs alone
  23. Why pulls thou that bitter herb
    Among the leaves so green?
    And all to kill the bonnie babe
    That we got us between
  24. Now tell to me the truth, Tamlin
    A truth - we will not lie-
    If ever you were a mortal man
    And christened the same as me?
  25. Oh, I will tell the truth, Margaret
    A truth - I will not lie -
    It's truth I've been in holy chapel
    And christened as well as thee
  26. But once it fell upon a day
    As hunting I did ride
    As I rode East and I rode West
    Strange chance did me betide
  27. There blew a drowsy, drowsy wind
    And sleep upon me fell
    The Queen of Fairies she was there
    And she took me to herself
  28. And never would I tire, Margaret
    In fairyland to dwell
    And pleasant is the fairyland
    But an eerie tale to tell
  29. For aye, at every seven years
    They pay a tithe to Hell
    And I'm so fair and full of flesh
    I'm feared 'twill be myself
  30. The night is Halloween, Margaret
    The morn is Hallowday
    The win me, win me, and ye will
    For all I know ye may
  31. Just at the mirk and midnight hour
    The elfin folk will ride
    And they that would their true love win
    At Miles Cross, they must bide
  32. But how shall I thee ken, Tamlin
    And how shall I thee know?
    Among so many unearthly knights
    The like I never saw?
  33. Oh, first let by the black, black steed
    And then let by the brown
    But haste ye to the milk white steed
    And pull the rider down
  34. For I'll be on the milk white steed
    With a gold star in my crown
    Because I was an earthly knight
    They gave me that renown
  35. And they will turn me in your arms
    Into a beast so wild
    But hold me fast and fear me not
    I'm the father of your child
  36. And they'll change me in your arms
    Into the red hot iron
    But hold me fast and fear me not
    I'll do you no harm
  37. They'll turn me in your arms, my love
    Into an awful snake
    But hold me fast and fear me not
    For I'm to be your mate
  38. At last they'll turn me in your arms
    Into the melting lead
    Then throw me into clear well water
    And throw me in with speed
  39. And then I'll be your own true love
    I'll turn a naked knight
    Cover me with your green mantle
    And cover me out of sight
  40. My right hand will be gloved, Margaret
    My left hand will be bare
    Cocked up shall my helmet be
    No doubt I shall be there
  41. Gloomy, gloomy was the night
    And eerie was the way
    When Margaret in her green mantle
    To Miles Cross she did gae
  42. About the middle of the night
    She heard the bridles ring
    Margaret was as glad of that
    As any mortal thing
  43. First went by the black, black steed
    And then went by the brown
    But quickly she ran to the milk-white steed
    And pulled the rider down
  44. And thunder rolled across the sky
    And the stars they burned like day
    And out then spoke the Queen of the Fairies
    Crying young Tamlin's away
  45. They turned him to a bear so bold
    Then to a lion wild
    She held him fast and feared him not
    He was the father of her child
  46. And then they turned him in her arms
    Into iron like hot fire
    She held him fast and feared him not
    He was her heart's desire
  47. They turned him, changed him in her arms
    Into a hissing snake
    She held him fast and feared him not
    He was to be her mate
  48. At last they turned him in her arms
    Into the molten lead
    She threw him into clear well water
    And threw him in with speed
  49. And then he turned a naked knight
    She young Tamlin did win
    She covered him with her green mantle
    As blithe's a bird in spring
  50. Out then spoke the Queen of the Fairies
    Out of a bush of broom
    She that has gotten young Tamlin
    Has gotten a stately groom
  51. Out then spoke the Queen of the Fairies
    And angry queen was she
    She has gotten the fairest knight
    In all my company
  52. Out then spoke the Queen of Fairies
    Out of a bush of rye
    Shame betide her ill-starred face
    And an ill death may she die
  53. If what I'd see this night, Tamlin
    Last night I'd understood
    I'd have torn out thy two grey eyes
    And put in two of wood
  54. If what I see this night, Tamlin
    Last night I'd only known
    I'd have taken out your heart of flesh
    Put in a heart of stone
  55. If I'd but half the wit yestereen
    That I have bought today
    I'd have paid my tithe seven times to Hell
    E'er you'd been won away


Version Notes

Originally supplied to me by Chris Gladish, who ran a site called Chris' Tam Lin Pages (now defunct).

For historical reasons, this version is called the Digital Traditions versions. It came to me from Chris Gladish, who probably found it there, where it was entered by Michael Cooney, who probably obtained it from Bronson. There was a thread debating all of this at Digital Traditions, but I am unable to locate it now.

Notes from musical score include:

The first stanza learned from Elinor Wylie, who learned it from her nurse, a woman "from the northern marshes." The text as a whole appears to be refashioned, perhaps in good part on Child's D.

Added to site: September 1997