The Two Magicians
The Two Magicians
Lyrics unkown, music by A.L. Lloyd
Performed by Empty Hats on The Hat Came Back
A lady sits at her own front door
Waitin' on her man
By there came a lusty smith
With his hammer in his hand
Saying, "You are such a maiden fair
All in your robes of red.
Will you take me in your arms
And have me in your bed?"
"Away, away you coal blacksmith
What you do say is wrong
Dost thou think a lass like me
Can be had for just a song?"
He sang, "Bide, lady bide.
Your lust for me don't hide.
This lusty smith will be your love
So lay aside your pride."
So the lady she took out her wand
Held it high in her hand
And she turned herself into a cloud
Saying, "Catch me if you can."
So the blacksmith shook his hammer
And it turned into a magic stick
So he became a lightning bolt
For to zap into her quick.
So the lady she turned into a fish
Swimming in the book
So he became a fishing rod
For to Catch her with his hook
But the lady she turned into a fly
And flew up into the air
So he became a hairy spider
For to drag her into his lair
So the lady she turned into a rose
Rose bush in the wood
So he became a bumblebee
For to sting her where she stood
OUCH! But the lady she turned into a horse
Dark as the night is black
So he became a golden saddle
For to climb onto her back
So the lady she turned into a man
Cleared upon him good
So he became a bonny lass
And she took him where he stood
Background by Daniel Womack: This is one of the Child Ballads collected by Francis James Child late in the 19th century. Below are the lyrics from #44 entitled The Twa Magicians. It appears to share the same melody with A.L. Lloyd's version:
The lady stands in her bower door,
As straight as a willow wand;
The blacksmith stood a little forebye,
Wi' hammer in his hand.
'Weel may ye dress ye, lady fair,
Into your robes o red;
Before the morn at this same time
I'll gain your maidenhead.'
'Awa, awa, ye coal-blacksmith,
Woud ye do me the wrang
To think to gain my maidenhead,
That I hae kept sae lang!'
The she has hadden up her hand,
And she sware by the mold,
'I wudna be a blacksmith's wife
For the full o a chest o gold.
'I'd rather I were dead and gone,
And my body laid in grave,
Ere a rusty stock o coal-black smith
My maidenhead shoud have.'
But he has hadden up his hand
And he sware by the mass,
'I'll cause ye be my light leman
For the hauf o that and less.'
O bide, lady, bide,
And aye he bade her bide;
The rusty smith your leman shall be,
For a' your muckle pride.
Then she became a turtle dow,
To fly up into the air,
And he became another dow,
And they flew pair and pair.
O bide, lady, bide,
And aye he bade her bide;
The rusty smith your leman shall be,
For a' your muckle pride.
She turned hersell into an eel,
To swim into yon burn,
And he became a speckled trout
To gie the eel a turn.
O bide, lady, bide,
And aye he bade her bide;
The rusty smith your leman shall be,
For a' your muckle pride.
Then she became a duck, a duck,
To puddle in a peel,
And he became a rose-kaimd drake,
To gie the duck a dreel.
O bide, lady, bide,
And aye he bade her bide;
The rusty smith your leman shall be,
For a' your muckle pride.
She turnd hersell into a hare
To rin upon yon hill,
And he became a gude grey-hound,
And boldy he did fill.
O bide, lady, bide,
And aye he bade her bide;
The rusty smith your leman shall be,
For a' your muckle pride.
Then she became a gay grey mare
And stood in yonder slack
And he became a gilt saddle
And sat upon her back.
Was she wae, he held her sae,
And still he bade her bide;
The rusty smith her leman was,
For a' her muckle pride.
Then she became a het girdle,
And he became a cake,
And a' the ways she turned hersell,
The blacksmith was her make.
Was she wae, he held her sae,
And still he bade her bide;
The rusty smith her leman was,
For a' her muckle pride.
She turned hersell into a ship
To sail out ower the flood;
He ca'ed a nail intill her tail
And syne the ship she stood.
Was she wae, he held her sae,
And still he bade her bide;
The rusty smith her leman was,
For a' her muckle pride.
Then she became a silken plaid,
And stretchd upon a bed,
And he became a green covering,
And gaind her maidenhead.
Was she wae, he held her sae,
And still he bade her bide;
The rusty smith her leman was,
For a' her muckle pride.
More Background: It seems that this, like many folk songs, was written by someone who changed the lyrics as they pleased. Folks who came along learned the song based on how the author was playing it at the time and the same can be said for every additional author thus growing a web of various lyrics. The date this song was written or even first performed can't be confidently confirmed. The earliest date I see this being attributed to anyone is 1828 to a D. Buchan.
As always, if there is anything I've missed, any information that you know to be incorrect, or if there is a song you've heard on the podcast that you would like to see included, please do not hesitate to contact me at lyrics@renaissancefestivalmusic.com.
Lyrics unkown, music by A.L. Lloyd
Performed by Empty Hats on The Hat Came Back
A lady sits at her own front door
Waitin' on her man
By there came a lusty smith
With his hammer in his hand
Saying, "You are such a maiden fair
All in your robes of red.
Will you take me in your arms
And have me in your bed?"
"Away, away you coal blacksmith
What you do say is wrong
Dost thou think a lass like me
Can be had for just a song?"
He sang, "Bide, lady bide.
Your lust for me don't hide.
This lusty smith will be your love
So lay aside your pride."
So the lady she took out her wand
Held it high in her hand
And she turned herself into a cloud
Saying, "Catch me if you can."
So the blacksmith shook his hammer
And it turned into a magic stick
So he became a lightning bolt
For to zap into her quick.
So the lady she turned into a fish
Swimming in the book
So he became a fishing rod
For to Catch her with his hook
But the lady she turned into a fly
And flew up into the air
So he became a hairy spider
For to drag her into his lair
So the lady she turned into a rose
Rose bush in the wood
So he became a bumblebee
For to sting her where she stood
OUCH! But the lady she turned into a horse
Dark as the night is black
So he became a golden saddle
For to climb onto her back
So the lady she turned into a man
Cleared upon him good
So he became a bonny lass
And she took him where he stood
Background by Daniel Womack: This is one of the Child Ballads collected by Francis James Child late in the 19th century. Below are the lyrics from #44 entitled The Twa Magicians. It appears to share the same melody with A.L. Lloyd's version:
The lady stands in her bower door,
As straight as a willow wand;
The blacksmith stood a little forebye,
Wi' hammer in his hand.
'Weel may ye dress ye, lady fair,
Into your robes o red;
Before the morn at this same time
I'll gain your maidenhead.'
'Awa, awa, ye coal-blacksmith,
Woud ye do me the wrang
To think to gain my maidenhead,
That I hae kept sae lang!'
The she has hadden up her hand,
And she sware by the mold,
'I wudna be a blacksmith's wife
For the full o a chest o gold.
'I'd rather I were dead and gone,
And my body laid in grave,
Ere a rusty stock o coal-black smith
My maidenhead shoud have.'
But he has hadden up his hand
And he sware by the mass,
'I'll cause ye be my light leman
For the hauf o that and less.'
O bide, lady, bide,
And aye he bade her bide;
The rusty smith your leman shall be,
For a' your muckle pride.
Then she became a turtle dow,
To fly up into the air,
And he became another dow,
And they flew pair and pair.
O bide, lady, bide,
And aye he bade her bide;
The rusty smith your leman shall be,
For a' your muckle pride.
She turned hersell into an eel,
To swim into yon burn,
And he became a speckled trout
To gie the eel a turn.
O bide, lady, bide,
And aye he bade her bide;
The rusty smith your leman shall be,
For a' your muckle pride.
Then she became a duck, a duck,
To puddle in a peel,
And he became a rose-kaimd drake,
To gie the duck a dreel.
O bide, lady, bide,
And aye he bade her bide;
The rusty smith your leman shall be,
For a' your muckle pride.
She turnd hersell into a hare
To rin upon yon hill,
And he became a gude grey-hound,
And boldy he did fill.
O bide, lady, bide,
And aye he bade her bide;
The rusty smith your leman shall be,
For a' your muckle pride.
Then she became a gay grey mare
And stood in yonder slack
And he became a gilt saddle
And sat upon her back.
Was she wae, he held her sae,
And still he bade her bide;
The rusty smith her leman was,
For a' her muckle pride.
Then she became a het girdle,
And he became a cake,
And a' the ways she turned hersell,
The blacksmith was her make.
Was she wae, he held her sae,
And still he bade her bide;
The rusty smith her leman was,
For a' her muckle pride.
She turned hersell into a ship
To sail out ower the flood;
He ca'ed a nail intill her tail
And syne the ship she stood.
Was she wae, he held her sae,
And still he bade her bide;
The rusty smith her leman was,
For a' her muckle pride.
Then she became a silken plaid,
And stretchd upon a bed,
And he became a green covering,
And gaind her maidenhead.
Was she wae, he held her sae,
And still he bade her bide;
The rusty smith her leman was,
For a' her muckle pride.
More Background: It seems that this, like many folk songs, was written by someone who changed the lyrics as they pleased. Folks who came along learned the song based on how the author was playing it at the time and the same can be said for every additional author thus growing a web of various lyrics. The date this song was written or even first performed can't be confidently confirmed. The earliest date I see this being attributed to anyone is 1828 to a D. Buchan.
As always, if there is anything I've missed, any information that you know to be incorrect, or if there is a song you've heard on the podcast that you would like to see included, please do not hesitate to contact me at lyrics@renaissancefestivalmusic.com.
--posted by Daniel Womack of the Brobdingnagian Bards
3:00 PM
