Dulcina - Folklorist

“Dulcina”

Description

"As at noone Dulcina rested In a sweete and shady bower, Came a shepherd and requested In her lap to sleep an hour." The song obliquely describes what might have happened, but the singer admits ignorance of what actually happened

Supplemental text

Dulcina
  Complete text(s)

          *** A ***

From Furnivall, Bishop Percy's Folio Manuscript [Volume 4], Loose
and Humorous Songs, pp. 32-34. Text from page 178 of the Percy Folio.

Due to the difficult and complex spelling of the original, I have
placed a modernized version in the margin.

As att no one Dulc[i]na rested          As at noon Dulcina rested
in her sweete & shade bower,            In her sweet and shady bower
there came a shepeard, & requested      There came a shepherd, and requested
in her lapp to sleepe and houre;        In her lap to sleep an hour,
but from her looke a wound he tooke     But from her look a wound he took
soe deepe, that for a further boone     So deep that for a further boon
the Nimph he prayes: whereto shee says  The nymph he prays, whereto she says
"forgoe me now, come to me soon."       "Go from me now, come to me soon."


But in vayne she did coniure him        But in vain she did conjure him
To depart her presense so,              To depart her presence so,
hauing thousand tounges to allure him   Having thousand tongues to allure him
& but one to say him noe                And but one to tell him no.
where lipps invite, & eyes delyght      Where lips invite and eyes delight
& cheekes as red as rose in Iune        And cheeks as red as rose in June
perswade delay, what boots shee say     Persuade delay, no use to say
"forgoe me &c."                         "Go from me now...."


Words whose hopes might have enioyned   Words whose hopes might have enjoyned
him to lett DULCINA sleepe.             Him to let Dulcina sleep,
Can a mans loue be confined,            Can a man's love be confined
or a mayd her promise keepe?            Or a maid her promise keep?
But hee her wast still held as ffast    But he her waist still held as fast
As shee was constant to her tune,       As she was constant to her tune,
Though neere soe fayre her speechers were
                                      Though never so fair, her speeches were
"forgoe me &c."                         "Go from me now...."


He demands, "what time or pleasure      He demands, "What time for pleasure
can there be more soone then now?       Can there be more fitting than now?
shee sayes, "night giues loue that leysure
                                     She says, "Night gives love that leisure
that the day cannott allow."            Which the day cannot allow."
"the said kind sight forgiues delight"
                                      "The said kind sight forgives delight,"
quoth hee, "more esilye then the moon"  said he, "More easily than the moon."
"In Venus playes be bold," shee sayes,  "In Venus's games be bold," she says;
"forgoe me &c."                         "Go from me now...."


But who knowes how agreed these loues?  But who knows how agreed these loves?
Shee was fayre, & he was younge;        She was fair and he was young.
Tongue may tell what eyes discouer;     Tongues may tell what eyes discover;
Ioyes vnseene are neuer songe.          Joys unseen are never sung [about].
did shee consent or he relent?          Did she consent or he relent?
Accepts he night, ar grants she none?   Accepts he night, or grants she noon?
left hee her Mayd or not? shee sayd     Left he her [a] maid or not? She said
"forgoe me now, come to me soon."       "Go from me now, come to me soon."

Notes

This is probably not an actual traditional song (though an attempt to attribute it to Raleigh failed). It is so often cited, however, that I thought it best to include it (there are eight or nine broadsides in the Broadside Ballad Index using this tune).

Izaak Walton's _Compeat Angler_ also refers to this tune (Chapter II). - RBW

Same tune

In the month of February/The true Lovers Good-morrow... brace of Valentines (BBI ZN1481)
Thou who art so sweet a creature/A delicate new ditty... Posie of a Ring (BBI ZN2595)
What doth aile my loue, so sadly/A pleasant new Song, betwixt a Saylor and his Loue (BBI ZN2793)
From Oberon in Fairy Land/The mad-merry prankes of Robbin Good-fellow (BBI ZN933)
Of late it was my chance to walke/A penny-worth of Good Counsell (BBI ZN2114)
In the gallant month of June/The desperate Damsell's Tragedy (BBI ZN1478)
All you Young-men who would Marry/A Prouerb old, yet nere forgot, Tis good to strike while the Irons hott (BBI ZN160)
Jewry came to Jerusalem/Two pleasant Ditties, one of the Birth, the other of the Passion of Christ (BBI ZN1551)
The golden god Hyperion/An excellent new ditty.. Dulcina complaineth for the absence of.. Coridon (BBI ZN988)

References