King Orfeo (trad.)

Der lived a king ida da aste,
Scowan ürla grün
Der lived a lady ida wast.
Whar giorten han grün oarlac
Dis king he has a huntin gaen,
He’s left his Lady a’ her lane.
Oh I wis du’d never gaen away,
For at dye hame is döl an wae.
For da king o’ Faerries
Wee his daert,
Has pierced dye lady tae da hert.
And aifter dem da king has gaen,
But whan he cam
It was a grey stane.
And oot der cam a servin’ man
And tae da King’s right hand he ran
Noo come du in itta wir Haa,
Scowan ürla grün
An come du in among wis aa.
Whar giorten han grün oarlac
Noo he’s geen in itta dir haa,
Scowan ürla grün
An he’s geen in among dem aa.
Whar giorten han grün oarlac
Dan he took oot his pipes ta play,
Bit sair his hert wi döl an wae.

And first he played da notes o noy,
Scowan ürla grün
An neest he played da notes o joy.
Whar giorten han grün oarlac
An dan he played
Da göd gabber reel,
Dat meicht ha made a sick hert hale.
Noo tell wis what du best wid hae;
Whit shall we gie de for dye play
Aks onything athin wir Haa,
An du may tak dat sam awa.
What I wid hae I will dee tell,
An dat’s me lady I loe well
Shö is da dearest thing o mine;
I widna fir me life her tine
Du tak dy lady, an du geng hame,
An du’ll be King ower aa dye ain
He’s taen his lady,
An he’s geen hame,
Scowan ürla grün
An noo he’s King ower aa his ain.
Whar giorten han grün oarlac
Der lived a king ida da aste,
Scowan ürla grün
Der lived a lady ida wast.
Whar giorten han grün oarlac

There lived a King in the east
Early greens the wood
There lived a lady in the west
Where the stag goes yearly
This King he has gone hunting
He’s left his lady all alone
Oh, I wish you’d never gone away
For at your home
It’s sorrow and woe
For the Fairy King with his dart
Has pierced your lady to the heart
And after them the King has gone
But when he came it was a grey stone
Then out there came a serving man
And to the King’s right hand he ran
And come you in to our hearth
And come you in amongst us all
And he’s gone in to their hearth
And he’s gone in amongst them all
Then he took out his pipes to play
But sore was his heart with sorrow
and woe

And first he played
The notes of sadness
And next he played the notes of joy
And then he played a good lively reel
That might’ve made a sick heart whole
Now tell us what you’d like best
What shall we give you
For your playing
Ask anything within our house
And you may take that thing away
What I would have, I will tell you
And that’s my lady I love well
She is the dearest thing of mine
I wouldn’t for my life lose her
Take your lady and go home
And you’ll be King over all your own
He has taken his lady
And he’s gone home
And now he’s King over all his own
There lived a King in the east
Early greens the wood
There lived a Lady in the west
Where the stag goes yearly