s Discovery by Gwen Knighton

Tam Lin Balladry

A website of folklore and discovery.

Discovery

Source: Gwen Knighton

album: Hair of the Frog

Discovery

  1. I know your face, little rose
    But I don't know your mind
    You know your place, little rose
    But you cannot read the signs
    Aren't you arrogant
    Putting on airs
    I watch you from the bower
    You do not sense that I am there.
  2. Come into my garden
    Sings the elf-knight to the maid
    Lilies, willows, roses,
    And your innocence betrayed
    Reach for that red rose, my dear
    A rose but barely one
    And I will be your love, my dear
    And all your life undone.
  3. You see my steed, little rose
    But you don't see my face
    I watch your feet, little rose
    Gauge your reckless girl's pace
    Aren't you beautiful
    So sweet and pure
    You reach out one dainty hand
    I sit and see my fate secured.
  4. Come into my garden
    Sings the elf-knight to the maid
    Lilies, willows, roses
    And your innocence betrayed
    Reach for that red rose, my dear
    A rose but barely two
    And I will be your love, my dear
    And be the end of you.
  5. My eyes consume, little rose
    I am charmed by your smile
    You hold my blooms, little rose
    You're so easy to beguile
    Aren't you mesmerized
    As you stare, unafraid?
    I'll lead you to my leafy close
    And you will be no more a maid
  6. Come into my garden
    Sings the elf-knight to the maid
    Lilies, willows, roses
    And your innocence betrayed
    Reach for that red rose, my dear
    A rose but barely three
    And I will be your love, my dear
    And you'll belong to me.
  7. Tag:
    You are bound for ordeals
    You will never understand
    For I have learned some tricks
    While I have lived in fair Elfland.

Notes

The following song comes to me from Gwen Knighton, who says:

This song is a slice-of-life view of the moments leading up to when Janet and Tam Lin actually meet, a very short scene in the ballad. I was thinking about how so many analyses of the ballad and so many books that have been written about it focus on plucky Janet and her tenaciousness in hanging on to her lover through thick and thin. But what about Tam Lin? He's got an agenda, himself; he would like to save his life. Now, I know Janet is headstrong and reckless; the ballads all say that. But it takes more than a little recklessness to make a girl get herself knocked up and then place herself in between her true love and the Queen of Elfland. Tam Lin has something up his sleeve, doesn't he? Gotta be the roses.

Gwen is a harpist, and her group, Three Weird Sisters featured this song on their album Hair of the Frog, released in 2003.

Added to site July 2003