English poem
Captain Wedderburn
by Frank Sidgwick (1879–1939)
+The Text+ is from Kinloch’s MSS., where it was written down from the recitation of Mary Barr: it is entitled ‘The Earl of Rosslyn’s Daughter.’
+The Story+ is the converse of A Noble Riddle Wisely Expounded, in which the maid wins a husband by riddles; in the present one the captain out-riddles the maid. Similar tales are very popular in many lands, being found in Persia, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Turkey, Lithuania, East Siberia, etc.
Most of the lady’s riddles are found in an old English song, and its traditional derivatives. The song, which is given below, is found in Sloane MS. 2593, which contains other carols and ballads (see pp. 123-8)[A]. From this is derived the nursery song beginning--
‘I had four brothers over the sea’
(with many variations:-- ‘four sisters,’ ‘six lovers,’ ‘a true lover’), and with a curious half-Latin refrain which varies between
Para-mara, dictum, domine,
and
Peri-meri, dixi, domine.
The following is the song referred to above. It was twice printed by T. Wright from the fifteenth-century MS.
[[A] Transcriber’s Note: Pp. 123-128: “Adam” (123) and “Saint Stephen and King Herod” (125).]
1. I have a yong suster fer beyondyn the se; Many be the drowryis that che sente me.
2. Che sente me the cherye, withoutyn ony ston, And so che dede [the] dowe, withoutyn ony bon.
3. Sche sente me the brere, withoutyn ony rynde, Sche bad me love my lemman withoute longgyng.
4. How xuld ony cherye be withoute ston? And how xuld ony dowe ben withoute bon?
5. How xuld any brere ben withoute rynde? How xuld I love my lemman without longyng?
6. Quan the cherye was a flour, than hadde it non ston; Quan the dowe was an ey, than hadde it non bon.
7. Quan the brere was onbred, than hadde it non rynd; Quan the mayden hayt that che lovit, che is without longing.
[Annotations: 1.3: ‘drowryis’ = druries, keepsakes. 2.3: ‘dowe,’ dove. 3.1: ‘brere,’ brier: here perhaps the ‘hip’ of the dog-rose (see 7.1). 3.3: ‘lemman,’ sweetheart. 4.1: etc. ‘xuld’ = should. 6.3: ‘ey,’ egg. 7.3: ‘hayt that che lovit,’ has what she loves.]