Bonny May

Bonny May

Bonny May a shepherding has gone

To call her sheep to the fold,

And as she sang her bonny voice it rang,

Right over the tops of the downs, downs,

Right over the tops of the downs.

There came a troop of gentlemen

As they were riding by.

And one of them has lighted down

And he's asked of her the way, way,

And has asked of her the way.

Ride on ride on you rank riders

Your steeds are stout and strong

For its out of the fold I will not go

For fear you do me wrong, wrong

For fear you do me wrong.

Now He's taken her by the middle jimp

And by the green gown sleeve,

And there he's has had his will of her,

And he's asked of her no leave, leave

He's asked of her no leave.

Now he's mounted on his berry brown steed

He'll soon ordain his men

And one and all cried out to him

Oh master you done been long, long

Oh master you done been long

Oh I've ridden east and I've ridden west

And I've ridden over the downs

But the bonniest lass that ever I saw

She was callin her sheep to the fold, fold

She's taken the milk pail on her head

And she's gone lingering home

And all her father said to her was

Daughter you done it long, long

Oh daughter you done it long

Oh woe be to your shepherd father

He takes no care of the sheep

For he fiddled at the fold at the back of the down

And a fox has frightened me, me

And a fox has frightened me

For there came a fox to the fold door

With twinkling eye so bold,

And there he's taken the lamb that he did,

Oh but rather be taken them all, all.

Now twenty weeks were gone and past

Twenty weeks and three

And the lassy began to fret and frown

And long for the twinkling eye bright guy

And to long for the twinkling eye

Now it fell on a day on a bonny summers day

That she walked out alone

that some say a true but gentleman

come a riding over the downs

Who got the babe with thee Bonny May

Who got the babe in thy arms

For shame she blushed and aye she said

Oh I've good man of my own now

I've good man of my own

You lie, you lie, you Bonny Bonny May.

So loud I hear you lie.

Remember the misty ,murky night

I lay in the fold with thee, thee,

I lay in the fold with thee.

Now he's mounted on his berry brown steed

He set the fair maid on

Go call out your ci you father yourself

She'll never lamb again, again

She'll never lamb again

Oh he's lord of twenty plowmen

Twenty plowmen three

And he's taken away the bonniest lass

In all the South County, Country

In all the South Country

It was on an evening sae saft and sae clear

A bonny lass was milking the kye,

And by came a troup of gentlemen,

And rode the bonny lassie by.

Then one of them said unto her,

Bonny lass, prythee shew me the way:

O if I do sae, it may bree me wae,

For langer I dare nae stay.

But dark and misty was the night

Before the bonny lass came hame:

Now where hae you been, my ae doughter?

I am sure you was nae your lane.

O father, a tod has come oer your lamb,

A gentleman of high degree,

And ay whan he spake he lifted his hat,

And bonny, bonny, blinkit his ee.

Or eer six months were past and gane,

Six months but and other three,

The lassie began to grow pale and wan.

And think lang for his blinkin ee.

O wae be to my father's shepherd,

An ill death may he die!

He bigged the bughts sae far frae hame,

And trysted a gentleman to me!

It fell upon another fair evening

The bonny lassie was milking her kye

And by came the troop of gentlemen,

And rode the bonny lassie by.

Then one of them stopt, and said to her,

Whae's aught that baby ye are wi?

The lassie began for to blush, and think,

To a father as good as ye.

O had your tongue, my bonny may,

Sae loud I hear you lie!

O dinae you mind the misty night

I was in the bught with thee?

Now he's come aff his milk-white steed,

And he has taen her hame:

Now let your father bring hame the kye

You neer mair shall a them agen.

He was the laird of Auchentrone,

With fifty ploughs and three,

And he has gotten the bonniest lass

In a' the south countrie.

I learned the 1st version from a June Tabor album in the 70s

It is a wonderful song to hear and to sing.

In the notes on the old LP sleave it gives June Tabor's history of this song and she notes

that many versions of this song are known and that she has combined a number

of verses from different versions.

This song is related to Broom of Cowdenknowes and Queen Among The Heather.

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Folk Music Index Shepherds Songbook SHEEP SHEARING Sheep Jewelry THE SHEPHERD'S DOG Bookstore	HOME \| home Ca' the Ewes to The Knowes \| Queen Among The Heather \| The Broom of Cowdenknowes \| Bonny May \| Searching for Lambs \| Heather Down the Moor \| The Shepherd's Wife \| Tarry Wool \| Stormy Winds \| Shepherd of the Downs \| The Sheep-Shearing Song \| The Sheep Shearing \| Rosebud in June \| Lincolnshire Shepherd \| Sheep Shearin \| Drink Boys, Drink \| Darby Ram \| Ewie wi' the Crookit Horn \| Master of the Sheepfold \| The Sheep Under the Snow \| The Weary Pund O' Tow \| Sheep Crook and Black Dog \| The Shearing's Nae For You \| Band of Shearers \| Twanky Dillo \| The Shepherd Lad O' Rhynie \| Laird o' Drum \| Blind Shepherd \| Canny Shepherd Laddie \| Road to the Isles \| Tip O' Derwent
	Bonny May Bonny May a shepherding has gone To call her sheep to the fold, And as she sang her bonny voice it rang, Right over the tops of the downs, downs, Right over the tops of the downs. There came a troop of gentlemen As they were riding by. And one of them has lighted down And he's asked of her the way, way, And has asked of her the way. Ride on ride on you rank riders Your steeds are stout and strong For its out of the fold I will not go For fear you do me wrong, wrong For fear you do me wrong. Now He's taken her by the middle jimp And by the green gown sleeve, And there he's has had his will of her, And he's asked of her no leave, leave He's asked of her no leave. Now he's mounted on his berry brown steed He'll soon ordain his men And one and all cried out to him Oh master you done been long, long Oh master you done been long Oh I've ridden east and I've ridden west And I've ridden over the downs But the bonniest lass that ever I saw She was callin her sheep to the fold, fold She's taken the milk pail on her head And she's gone lingering home And all her father said to her was Daughter you done it long, long Oh daughter you done it long Oh woe be to your shepherd father He takes no care of the sheep For he fiddled at the fold at the back of the down And a fox has frightened me, me And a fox has frightened me For there came a fox to the fold door With twinkling eye so bold, And there he's taken the lamb that he did, Oh but rather be taken them all, all. Now twenty weeks were gone and past Twenty weeks and three And the lassy began to fret and frown And long for the twinkling eye bright guy And to long for the twinkling eye Now it fell on a day on a bonny summers day That she walked out alone that some say a true but gentleman come a riding over the downs come a riding over the downs Who got the babe with thee Bonny May Who got the babe in thy arms For shame she blushed and aye she said Oh I've good man of my own now I've good man of my own You lie, you lie, you Bonny Bonny May. So loud I hear you lie. Remember the misty ,murky night I lay in the fold with thee, thee, I lay in the fold with thee. Now he's mounted on his berry brown steed He set the fair maid on Go call out your ci you father yourself She'll never lamb again, again She'll never lamb again Oh he's lord of twenty plowmen Twenty plowmen three And he's taken away the bonniest lass In all the South County, Country In all the South Country It was on an evening sae saft and sae clear A bonny lass was milking the kye, And by came a troup of gentlemen, And rode the bonny lassie by. Then one of them said unto her, Bonny lass, prythee shew me the way: O if I do sae, it may bree me wae, For langer I dare nae stay. But dark and misty was the night Before the bonny lass came hame: Now where hae you been, my ae doughter? I am sure you was nae your lane. O father, a tod has come oer your lamb, A gentleman of high degree, And ay whan he spake he lifted his hat, And bonny, bonny, blinkit his ee. Or eer six months were past and gane, Six months but and other three, The lassie began to grow pale and wan. And think lang for his blinkin ee. O wae be to my father's shepherd, An ill death may he die! He bigged the bughts sae far frae hame, And trysted a gentleman to me! It fell upon another fair evening The bonny lassie was milking her kye And by came the troop of gentlemen, And rode the bonny lassie by. Then one of them stopt, and said to her, Whae's aught that baby ye are wi? The lassie began for to blush, and think, To a father as good as ye. O had your tongue, my bonny may, Sae loud I hear you lie! O dinae you mind the misty night I was in the bught with thee? Now he's come aff his milk-white steed, And he has taen her hame: Now let your father bring hame the kye You neer mair shall a them agen. He was the laird of Auchentrone, With fifty ploughs and three, And he has gotten the bonniest lass In a' the south countrie. I learned the 1st version from a June Tabor album in the 70s It is a wonderful song to hear and to sing. In the notes on the old LP sleave it gives June Tabor's history of this song and she notes that many versions of this song are known and that she has combined a number of verses from different versions. This song is related to Broom of Cowdenknowes and Queen Among The Heather. NEXT SONG