JACK ROWLAND



There was Jack Rowland and his two brothers

went out to play at ball

And there was their sister, Ellen Rowland

amidst them all



She tossed the ball so very high

She caught it with her knee

She kicked it high all in the old churchyard

Where no one it could see



She's hitched her skirts all around her waist

And after the ball she's run

They've waited long, her three brothers

But she's never come home again



Up the hill and down the hill

Three weeping brothers roamed

They told their mother that Ellen Rowland

How she has vanished and flown



And it's, "Oh my love," now cries their mother,

"Oh and alas," cries she

"For she has gone to the King of the Hill

No more by us, she'll be seen"



So up and rose the first brother

And he was a proud young man

He swore an oath and a solemn oath

That Ellen he'd seek and find



And he's run down to his father's stable

He's saddled the bonnie grey

And as the sun looked over the hill

We watched him ride away



Up and rose the second brother

A proud young man was he

And he swore an oath and a solemn oath

That Ellen he'd find and free



And he's run down to his father's stable

And he's saddled the bonnie brown

And as the sun stood up in the sky

We watched him ride from town



We stayed long and very long

With our gloves all in our hands

And sad were hearts all over the town

But he never came home again



And up there rose, then, Jack the fool

He's the youngest of all the three

He's saddled and bridled his mother's horse

But he's wept so bitterly



She spoke to him, his mother's horse

As they rode out of the way

She says, "Never you fear, you Jack Rowland

But listen to what I do say



And remember the song the spider sings

When she comes to court the fly



Never a drop must you eat or drink

As we go along our road

And all that help us on the way

You must leave them lying dead"



So Jack Rowland has left his good long bow

And his arrows one by one

And he's taken his father's good long gun

That never was drawn in vain



And never a drop did they eat or drink

While on the way they rode

And all that helped them on the way

Jack Rowland left them dead

The horse that Jack Rowland sat upon

She was black as the darkening night

And her eyes shone far as the evening star

That put the sun to flight



As Jack Rowland to the dark hour came

And he stood there without

Three times all around the place

The horse spun round about



And she cried, "Open door and open door

Open and let me ride"

And e'er the third time she had spoke

See the door swing open wide



In it he spied some lovely tower(?)

that lined in the silver grey

All hung with mists and heavy dew

That shone clear as any day

No ceiling could this young man spy

No windows were there to be seen

But all around his head it shook the bed(?)

As the sun that sets at e'en



And he rode on and further on

The tears came falling fast

For he thought he saw his sister Ellen

Wandering like any ghost



And she cried, "Woe be to you, Jack Rowland

For your life's not worth a pin

For had you a hundred thousand lives

You should not spare one of them



"Oh pity on you, Jack Rowland

Why stayed you not a home

When the King of the Hill, you find

Then help you will find none"

With that, in come the King, himself

Glorious to be seen

For he come riding the storm and the wind

With a club all in each hand



"Rise, rise, Jack Rowland

Rise, rise and run

For now I smell Jack Rowland's blood

Jack Rowland's day is done



"Get up, get up, you Jack Rowland

If you would fight with me

And we will see how a frightened man

Will let his courage flee"



He's first turned him to a raging bear

And then to a writhing snake

And then's a herd of angry bulls

That roared all in his face

Then he became a burning bush

With a flame that lept so high

But he sang the song the spider sings

When he comes to court the fly



But up and rose Jack Rowland's horse

So loud I heard her cry

"Stand fast and fear you not," she cried

"No harm will come to thee"



There she stood an the high hill top

The stars shown in her mane

And she has turned to a mighty flood

She bore down on the plain



The King has changed to a little fish

To float all in the sea

And he fell as fast into the flood

As a dead branch from a tree

But she has changed to ropes and lines

And she hunted the ocean floor

He has become a fishing smack

And hauled all lines aboard

So she has changed all in the sky

To a gale that howled and roared

She filled his sails, she beat his spars

And she drove him onto shore



So he's become the deep dark night

And he dropped to the valley floor

And she rose up as the summer dawn

And she drove him on before



She cried, "Rise, rise, Jack Rowland

And the sun will rise with thee

As the dew falls from the leaves

We shall see what we shall see"

And as the dew fell from the leaves

And the daylight drew all around

He saw his sister and his two brothers

Mother naked on the ground



And he's taken them all in his arms

He's kissed them cheek and chin

He's wrapped them up in a cloak of gold

They've gone riding home



Up and spoke the King himself

As he vanished in the sun

"I should have taken your horse," he cried

And struck her blind and dumb"





@myth @animal @magic

see also MAGICN2 TOMRHYN TANLIN1 TAMLIN2

recorded by Martin Carthy

filename[ JACKROWL

SF

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