Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-01-20
The Scottish Ballad, "Auld Robin
Gray"

Gray"
Leigh Hunt once remark ed that Robir
Gray had "suffused more eyes witt
tears of the first water than any othel
ballad that was ever written" The
song was once very popular in England
and it is still 1avorite among those
people who have the gift of ballad
singing. 1t was written by Lady Anne
Barnard, who died in 1925. The his
tory of the composition is curious
Lady Barnard thus relates the circum
stances under which it was produced, il
a letter to Sir Walter Scott
Robin Gray" so called from this
being the name Of the old herder at Bal
carras, was born soon after the close O.
the year l77l. My sister Margaret had
married, and accompanied her husband
to London. was melancholy, and en-
deavored to amuse myself by attempt
ing few poetical trifles. There was an
ancient Scotch melody, of which l was
passionately fond; -, who lived
before your day, used to sin g it to us at
Balcarras. She did not object to its
having improper words, though l did
longed to sing old Sophy's melody to
differert words, and give to its plaintive
tones some little history of virtuous
distress in humble life, such as might
suit it.
While attempting to effect this in my
closet, | called to my little sister, now
Lady Hardwicke, who was the only per-
son near me:
81 have been writing ballad, my
dear; | am expressing my heroine with
ms isfn / oil
her Jamie to sea-and broken her
fathers ARMAND made her mother fall
sick-and given her Auld Robin Gray
for her lover but l wish to load her
with fifth sorrow within the four lines,
poor thing! Help me to one"
Steal the COW, sister Anne" said the
little Elizabeth. The COW was imme-
diately lifted by me, and the song COM
pleted.
At our fireside, and among our neigh
bors, "Auld Robin Gray was always
called for. | was pleased in secret with
the appreciation it met with but such
was my dread of being suspected of
writing anything, perceiving the shy
ness it created in those who could write
nothing, that ] carefully kept my own
secret.
Meanwhile, little as this matter seems
to have been worthy of dispute, it
afterward became party question be-
tween the sixteenth and eighteenth
centuries. Robin Gray" was either a
very ancient ballad, composed perhaps
by David Rizzio, and great curiosity,
or very modern matter, and no curl
oslty at all. was prosecuted to avow
whether | had written it or not,-where
| had got it. Old Sophy kept my coun-
sci, and | kept my own, in spite of the
qualification of seeing reward of twen-
ty guineas offered in the newspapers to
the nerson who should ascertain the
point past doubt, and the stiil nuuIo
fattering circumstance of q visit from
Mr.. birmingham, Secretary to the Anti
quarian Society, who endeavored to en-
trap the truth from me in manner |
took amiss. Had he asked me the
question obligingly, should have told
him the fact distinctly and confden-
TALLY. The annoyance, however, of this
important ambassador from the antigua
ries was amply repaid to me by the no.
bic exhibition of the "Ballad of Auld
Robin Gray's Courtship," as performed
by dancing dogs under my window. 1t
proved its popularity from the highest
to the lowest, and gave me pleasure
while hugged myself in my obscurity.
"AuLD ROBIN GRAY"
When the sheep in the faud. when the cows come
When a the weary world to quiet rest are game.
The woes of my heart fa' in showers fra my ee,
IInken'd by my gudeman. who soundly sleeps by me.
Young Jamie loo'd weel, and sought me for his
bride;
But saving ae crown piece he'd nathing else beside.
To make the crown a pound. my Jamie gaed to sea;
And the and the pound o. they were bath for
Before he had been game twelvemonth and day.
NV father brak his arm our COW was stown away;
Ny mother she fell sick-my Jamie was at sea-
And Aud Robin Gray, .. he came accounting me.
My father cou'dna work, my mother coudna spin;
toiled day and night but their bread coudn win
Said, Jenny, O. fer their sakes will you marry me ~
My Leart it said Ma, and looked for Jamie back;
But hard blew the winds, and his ship wrack;
His ship it was wrack Why didna Jamie dee?
Or wherefore am spard to cry out. Woe Is me-"
My father argued sair-my mother ddna speak.
But she looked in my face till my heart was like to
They ged him my hand, but my heart in the sea
And so Auld Robin Gray. he was gudeman to me-
hadna been his wife week but only four.
When mournfu' as sat on the stane at my door,
saw my Jamie's ghaist-I cou' 'dna think it he,
Till he said. I'm come hame, my love, to marry
thsel"
O. sair. sair did we greet. and mickle say of a:
Ae kiss we took. mair-I bad him gang ava
/ wish that were dead. but m no like to dec;
For, o. l am but young to cry out zoe Is me
gang like a ghaist. and carena much to spin!
darena think o. JAMIE for that wad be sin.