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English and Scottish Folk Ballads: The Three Ravens

Portre of English and Scottish Folk Ballads

The Three Ravens (English)

There were three rauens sat on a tree,

  Downe a downe, hay down, hay downe     

There were three rauens sat on a tree,

  With a downe           

There were three rauens sat on a tree,

They were as blacke as they might be.          

With a downe derrie, derrie, derrie, downe, downe.  

 

The one of them said to his mate,      

“Where shall we our breakefast take?”         

 

“Downe in yonder greene field,

There lies a knight slain vnder his shield.      

 

“His hounds they lie downe at his feete,       

So well they can their master keepe.  

 

“His haukes they flie so eagerly,       

There’s no fowle dare him come nie.” 1

 

Downe there comes a fallow doe,     

As great with yong as she might goe. 

 

She lift vp his bloudy hed,     

And kist his wounds that were so red.           

 

She got him vp vpon her backe,

And carried him to earthen lake. 2    

 

She buried him before the prime,      

She was dead herselfe ere euen-song time.   

 

God send euery gentleman,   

Such haukes, such hounds, and such a leman. 3

 

 

Note 1. Pit.

Note 2. Sweetheart.

Note 3. Crows. 



Uploaded byP. T.
Source of the quotationhttp://www.bartleby.com/40/12.html

A három holló balladája (Hungarian)

Három holló fa tetején –

Domb alján, haj, domb alján –

Három holló fa tetején –

Domb alján –

Három holló fa tetején,

fekete, mint a fekete szén –

Domb alján, haj, deli-dali-domb alján –

 

Holló a hollónak veti oda:

„Hol vár ma hollóra jó lakoma?"

 

– „Zöld mezőn valaki fűbe harap:

holt lovag fekszik a pajzsa alatt.

 

Lábtul a testnek a falka hever,

urára minden eb híven ügyel.

 

Solyma is ott kering, fenn kiabál.

Nem is mer a testre lecsapni madár."

 

Ifjasszony, barnaszeg szarvasünő,

terhesen lépeget és odajő.

 

Kezével emeli véres fejét,

ajkával apolja veres sebét.

 

Hátára emeli, úgy veszi fel,

gödörbe fekteti s földeli el.

 

Megvan a halommal pirkadatig,

maga is odahal napszállatig. -

 

Ég adjon mindünknek holta előtt

ily falkát, ily solymot, ily szeretőt!



Uploaded byP. T.
Source of the quotationhttp://irc.sunchat.hu/vers/

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