X:36
T:The Lover's Tasks
T:The Elfin Knight
B:Bronson
C:Trad
O:Sharp MSS., 763/826.  Also in Sharp and Marson, 3rd series,
O:1906, pp. 26-27.  Sung by William Huxtable, Rowbarton, Taunton,
O:January 15, 1906.
H:The variants are from the singing of Bessie Huxtable, at Minehead,
January l2, 1906. She sang the first refrain line as "O yes, she said,
Sweet William and time."
This form of the tune is sung by Clive Carey, on a phonograpb
record (English Columbia, rec. WA 10685 [DB 335]).
Pope's text appears to be assigned in Sharp's MS. to Bessie
Huxtable's and William Huxtable's tune, above. But Pope's name may
inadvertently have been written for W. Huxtable's, since Pope
belonged to Alcombe, Dunster. Sharp usually tidied up the texts he printed.
N:Child 2
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:C
G | GAB ccc | GAB c2 "(a)"c |
w:(O) Say can you make me a cam-*bric shirt Sing
GAB c2 c | "(b)"GFE G2 E | EEE EDC |
w:Iv-*y Leaf, Sweet Will-iam and Thyme, With-out an-y need-le or
"(c)"E2 F GA B | c2 c GGG | FED C2 G ||
w:need-le work?* And you shall be a true lov-er of mine.
GAB c2 c | GAB c3 | GAB c2 c | GAE G2 E |
w:Yes, if you wash it in yon-der well Sing Iv-y Leaf, Sweet Will-iam and Thyme, Where
EEE EDC | EFF GA B | ccc GGG | FED C3 |]
w:nei-ther springs wat-er, nor rain ev-er fell,* And you* shall be a true lov-er of mine.
%Variants
%"(a)"G ||"(b)"AAG ||"(c)"E2 G C2 ||
W:
W:Say can you make me a cambric shirt
W:Sing Ivy Leaf, Sweet William and Thyme,
W:Without any needle or needle work?
W:And you shall be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:Yes, if you wash it in yonder well
W:Sing Ivy Leaf, Sweet William and Thyme,
W:Where neither springs water, nor rain ever fell,
W:And you shall be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:Say can you plough me an acre of land
W:Sing Ivy Leaf, Sweet William and Thyme,
W:Between the sea and the salt sea strand?
W:And you shall be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:Yes, if you plough it with one ram's horn
W:Sing Ivy Leaf, Sweet William and Thyme,
W:And sow it all over with one pepper corn,
W:And you shall be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:Say can you reap with a sickle of leather
W:Sing Ivy Leaf, Sweet William and Thyme,
W:And tie it all up with a Tom-tit's feather?
W:And you shall be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:Yes if you gather it all in a sack,
W:Sing Ivy Leaf, Sweet William and Thyme,
W:And carry it home on a butterfly's back,
W:And you shall be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:Sung by Robert Pope, at Rowbarton, Taunton, January I5,
W:1906:
W:
W:Say can you make me a cambric shirt
W:O yes she said Sweet William and time
W:Without any needle or needle work
W:And then you shall be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:Wash it all up in yonder wink
W:Water will never foddle na never know spring.
W:
W:Hang it all out on yonder thorn
W:Which never bear leaves since Adam was born.
W:
W:Can you plough me an acre of land
W:Between the sea and the sea sand.
W:
W:Plough it all over with a ram's horn
W:And sow it all over with one peppercorn.
W:
W:Cut it all down with one strap of leather
W:And tie it all up in a tom tit's feather.
W:
W:Put it all in to the bottom of sacks
W:And carry it all home on a butterfly's back.
W:
W:Put it all in to a little mouse's hole
W:Thrash it all out with a cobbler's awl.