Greensleeves -- Anonymous

Guest poem sent in by Suresh Ramasubramanian

(Poem #1027) Greensleeves A new Courtly Sonet, of the Ladie Greensleeves. Chorus: Greensleeves was all my joy Greensleeves was my delight Greensleeves was my heart of gold And who but my Ladie Greensleeves Alas, my love, you do me wrong To cast me off discourteously And I have lov-ed you so long Delighting in your companie (Chorus) I have been ready at your hand To grant whatever you would crave, I have both waged life and land, Your love and good-will for to have. (Chorus) I bought thee kerchers to thy head, That were wrought fine and gallantly I kept thee both boord and bed Which cost my purse well favouredly (Chorus) I bought thee petticoats of the best, The cloth so fine as might be; I gave thee jewels for thy chest, And all this cost I spent on thee. (Chorus) Thy smock of silk, both fair and white, With gold embroidered gargeously; Thy petticoat of sendal right, And these I bought thee gladly (Chorus) Thy girdle of gold so red, With pearles bedecked sumptuously; The like no other lasses had, And yet thou wouldst not love me (Chorus) Thy purse and eke thy gay gilt knives, Thy pincase gallant to the eye; No better wore the Burgesse wives And yet thou wouldst not love me. (Chorus) Thy crimson stockings all of silk, With golde all wrought above the knee, Thy pumps as white as was the milk And yet thou wouldst not love me. (Chorus) Thy gown was of the grossie green, Thy sleeves of satten hanging by, Why made thee be our harvest Queen. And yet thou wouldst not love me. (Chorus) Thy garters fringed with the golde, And silver aglets hanging by, Which made thee blithe for to beholde And yet thou wouldst not love me. (Chorus) My gayest gelding I thee gave, To ride where ever liked thee, No Ladie ever was so brave And yet thou wouldst not love me. (Chorus) My men were clothed all in green, And they did ever wait on thee; All this was gallant to be seen And yet thou wouldst not love me. (Chorus) They set thee up, they took thee downe, They served thee with humilitie, Thy foote might not once touch the ground And yet thou wouldst not love me. (Chorus) For everie morning when thou rose, I sent thee dainties orderly; To cheare thy stomack from all woes And yet thou wouldst not love me. (Chorus) Thou couldst desire no earthly thing, But still thou hadst it readily; Thy musicke still to play and sing And yet thou wouldst not love me. (Chorus) And who did pay for all this geare, That thou didst spend when pleased thee, Even I that am rejected here And thou disdainst to love me. (Chorus) Well I will pray to God on high, That thou my constancy mayst see, And that yet once before I die Thou wilt vouchsafe to love me. (Chorus) Greensleeves, now farewell! adieu! God I pray to prosper thee, For I am still thy lover true, Come once again and love me. (Chorus) -- Anonymous

Note:
  sonet. Obs. rare. [a. OFr. sonet (sonnet), = Prov. sonet, f. son sound. ]
  Song, melody, music. -- OED

One of my favorite songs - a 16th century english ballad called
Greensleeves, by our old friend "Anon".  The song was first licensed
to a printer called Richard Jones, but several others have claimed
credit.

At least one version of this song's origin says that Henry VIII wrote
it about Anne Boleyn, but this is unlikely, as the style belongs to a
period after Henry's death, and the first printed version appeared
during the reign of Elizabeth I.

Since then, it became a popular ballad, carried over by the englishmen
to America, where it became one of the classic campfire ballads of the
old west.

The classic 1962 western "How the West Was Won" had a theme song set
to the "Greensleeves" tune - and "Ritchie Blackmore's Night" has a
beautiful cover of this old song (which I am listening to as I type
this).

Blackmore's brilliant guitaring adds to the magic of this old song
(and sounds far better than the ringtone in my colleague's cellphone -
again "Greensleeves" ;)

A beautiful, haunting melody - and words which show the deep grief of
a jilted man who has been rejected by a woman he has showered love
and squandered his fortune on.

Suresh

Martin adds:

  Greensleeves and Tolkien combine in the popular quote "Do not anger a bard,
  for thy name is silly, and scans to Greensleeves".

  And here's the hilarious Flanders and Swann sketch on the 'history' of
  Greensleeves:
    [broken link] http://timothyplatypus.tripod.com/FaS/hat_green.html