Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-01-12
The Scottish Ballad, "Auld Robin
Gray"

Whe Scottish BaIlad, "AuId hODI
Gray"
Leigh Hunt once remarked that Robin
Gray had "suffused more eyes witt
tears of the first water than any othe
ballad that was ever written" Th
song was once very popular in England
and it is still favorite among thos
people who have the gift OF ballad
singing. 1t was written by Lady ANN
Barnard, who died in 1926. The his
tory of the composition is curious
Lady Barnard thus relates the circum
stances under which it was produced, IL
letter to Sir Walter Scott:
| "Robin Gray" so called from thi
being the name of the old herder at Bal
carras, was born soon after the close o
the year 1771. My sister Margaret hao
married, and accompanied her husband
to London. | was melancholy, and en-
deavored to amuse myself by attempt
ing few poetical trifes. There was ar
ancient Scotch melody, of which l was
passionately fond; =, who lived
before your day, used to sing it 10 us al
Balcarras. She did not object to its
having improper words, though l did
1 longed to sing old Sophy's melody tc
diferert 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:
~ have been writing ballad, my
dear; l am expressing my heroine with
many misfortunes. I have already sent
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 freside, and among our neigh
bors, "Auld Robin Gray" was always
called for. was pleased ii secret with
the appreciation it met with but such
was my dread Of being suspected OF
writing anything, perceiving the shy
| l1CSS ~ vi Od,(O Ill bllOOO WIN OOOlA N1AOS
nothing, that carefully kept my own
| secret.
Meanwhile, little as this matter seems
to have been worthy of a 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
osity at all. | was prosecuted to avow
whether / had written it or not,-where
1 had got it. Old Sophy kept my coun-
sci, and kept my own, in spite of the
| qualification of seeing reward of TWEEN.
ty guineas offered in the newspapers to
the person who should ascertain the
point past doubt. and the still more
fiattering circumstance of 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.
BILE exhibition of the "Ballad Of Auld
Robin Gray's Courtship," as performed
by dancing dogs under my window. II
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 fauld. when the COWS com
| Wbar oS Tbs ,ua.rv world tn ouiet rest are game
| The woes Of my heart fa' in showers fra my ee,
| TTnkend by my gudeman. who soundly sleeps by me-
Young jamie loo'd me weel, and sought me for his
But saving ae crown-piece he'd nathing else beside.
| To make the crown pound, my Jamie gaed to sea
And the crown and the pound o. they were bath tol
Before he had been game twelvemonth and day.
| MY father brak his arm our was stown away
| NY mother she fell sickmy Jamie was at sea
| And Auld Robin Gray 0. he came acquiring me.
My father cou'dna work, my mother cou'dna spin;.
toiled day and night. but their bread coudna win
Auld Rob maintained them bath. and Wi tears in h
Said, Jenny, o, for their sakes will you marry p
| My heart it said Ma. and looked for Jamie back;
BIT hard blew the winds aRd @ his np ship vas %rsSk
| Or wherefore am spard to cry out, Woe is me ~
But she looked in my face till my heart was like t.
| break;
And so Auld Robin Gray he was gudeman to me-
hadna been his wife week but only four,
| When mournfu' as I sat the stane at my door,
| 1 saw my Jamie's ghaist-I cou'dna think it he,
| Till he said, Pm come hame. my love- to marry
| thee!"
| O. sair sair did we greet. and mickle say of a.:
| Ae kiss we took. nae mair-I bad him gang ava.
| I wish that were dead, but I'm no like to dee;
| For, o, / am but young to cry out. Woe is me r.
| I gang like a ghaist and carena much to spin
darena think o. jamie for that wad be a sin.
| But will do my best guide wife aye to be,
For Auld Robin Gray, o, he is sac kind to mel