Well it's of a sea captain who sailed the salt sea
And the moon it shone gentle and clear-o.
“I'll die, I'll die,” this captain did cry,
If I can't have that maid who walks on the shore,
If I can't have that maid on the shore.”
“Well I have got silver and I have got gold
And a-plenty of costly fine ware-o,
Well I'll give half to you, oh me gallant young crew,
If you fetch me that girl who walks on the shore,
If you fetch me that girl on the shore.”
So the sailors they got them a very long boat
And off for the shore they did steer-o,
Saying, “Ma'am if you please will you enter on board
To view a fine cargo of costly ware,
For to view a fine cargo of ware.”
With much persuading they got her on board
And the moon it shone gentle and clear-o,
She sat herself down in the stern of the boat
And back for the ship the young sailors did steer,
And back for the ship they did steer.
And when they arrive alongside of the ship
The captain he spat out his chew-o,
Saying, “First you will lie in my arms all this night
And then I'll give you to me jolly young crew,
And then I'll give you to me crew.”
“Oh thank you, oh thank you,” this young girl she cried,
“It's just what I've been waiting for-o:
For I've grown so weary of my maidenhead
As I walked all alone on me rocky old shore,
As I walked all alone on the shore.”
She sat herself down in the stern of the ship
And the moon it shone gentle and clear-o,
She sang so sweet and so neat and complete,
She sang sailors and captain right fast asleep,
She sang sailors and captain asleep.
And she robbed 'em of silver, she robbed 'em of gold,
She plundered that costly fine ware-o.
The captain's bright sword she's took for an oar
And she paddled right back to her rocky old shore,
She paddled right back to the shore.
“Oh were my men drunk or were my men mad
Or were they sunk deep in despair-o
That they let her away with her beauty so gay?
And the sailors all wished that that sweet maid was there,
How the sailors all wished she was there.”
“Now your men they weren't drunk and your men they weren't mad
And neither sunk deep in despair-o.
But I deluded your crew and likewise yourself too,
Captain, now I'm a maid on me rocky old shore
I'm a maiden once more on the shore.”
And the moon it shone gentle and clear-o.
“I'll die, I'll die,” this captain did cry,
If I can't have that maid who walks on the shore,
If I can't have that maid on the shore.”
“Well I have got silver and I have got gold
And a-plenty of costly fine ware-o,
Well I'll give half to you, oh me gallant young crew,
If you fetch me that girl who walks on the shore,
If you fetch me that girl on the shore.”
So the sailors they got them a very long boat
And off for the shore they did steer-o,
Saying, “Ma'am if you please will you enter on board
To view a fine cargo of costly ware,
For to view a fine cargo of ware.”
With much persuading they got her on board
And the moon it shone gentle and clear-o,
She sat herself down in the stern of the boat
And back for the ship the young sailors did steer,
And back for the ship they did steer.
And when they arrive alongside of the ship
The captain he spat out his chew-o,
Saying, “First you will lie in my arms all this night
And then I'll give you to me jolly young crew,
And then I'll give you to me crew.”
“Oh thank you, oh thank you,” this young girl she cried,
“It's just what I've been waiting for-o:
For I've grown so weary of my maidenhead
As I walked all alone on me rocky old shore,
As I walked all alone on the shore.”
She sat herself down in the stern of the ship
And the moon it shone gentle and clear-o,
She sang so sweet and so neat and complete,
She sang sailors and captain right fast asleep,
She sang sailors and captain asleep.
And she robbed 'em of silver, she robbed 'em of gold,
She plundered that costly fine ware-o.
The captain's bright sword she's took for an oar
And she paddled right back to her rocky old shore,
She paddled right back to the shore.
“Oh were my men drunk or were my men mad
Or were they sunk deep in despair-o
That they let her away with her beauty so gay?
And the sailors all wished that that sweet maid was there,
How the sailors all wished she was there.”
“Now your men they weren't drunk and your men they weren't mad
And neither sunk deep in despair-o.
But I deluded your crew and likewise yourself too,
Captain, now I'm a maid on me rocky old shore
I'm a maiden once more on the shore.”
Contributed by Bernart Bartleby - 2017/12/30 - 23:43
ho collegato alcune versioni della stessa ballata iniziando dalla versione di A.L. Lloyd che canta The Maid on the Shore nell'album The Foggy Dew and Other Traditional English Love Songs (1956) e commenta "Così come la canzone è arrivata a noi, è la ballata di una ragazza troppo intelligente per un capitano di mare vizioso. Ma una versione della ballata come cantata in Irlanda suggerisce qualcosa di sinistro dietro al racconto scanzonato. Perchè la ragazza è una Sirena o una donna del Mare."
Per chi volesse approfondire
Per chi volesse approfondire
Fair Maid on the Shore | TERRE CELTICHE
Un filone fecondo della tradizione ballatistica europea che affonda le sue radici nel medioevo è quello cosiddetto della “fanciulla sulla spiaggia”; Nelle “warning ballads” si ammoniscono le brave fanciulle di non mettersi grilli per il capo, di stare al loro posto (accanto al focolare a sfornare manicaretti e bambini) e di non avventurarsi in “ruoli maschili”, altrimenti finiranno disonorate o stuprate o uccise. Meglio quind
Cattia Salto - 2020/3/31 - 13:27
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Note for non-Italian users: Sorry, though the interface of this website is translated into English, most commentaries and biographies are in Italian and/or in other languages like French, German, Spanish, Russian etc.
Quello che riporto è il testo della versione della grandissima Frankie Armstrong, dal suo "Lovely on the Water" del 1972, di una delle canzoni tradizionali inglesi più femministe di sempre, al pari di The Crafty Maid's Policy, Lady Maisry, Wreccan wifes ged [The Wife's Lament; The Wife's Complaint] e altre già presenti sul sito.
"Maid on the Shore", o "The Mermaid", è stata incisa anche da A.L. Lloyd, Peggy Seeger, Martin Carthy, Stan Rogers, Cyril Tawney e molti altri artisti
Testo trovato su Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music
Anche questo un bel racconto di riscossa e vendetta femminile contro la meschinità e la brutalità maschili. La ragazza sulla spiaggia – quasi certamente una sirena – accetta docilmente di essere trasportata a bordo della nave di un grezzo capitano, uno che mastica e sputa tabacco e che la saluta senza tanti convenevoli: "Stanotte sarai mia e domani ti darò alla mia ciurma!". La fanciulla/sirena fa finta di starci e, anzi, afferma di essere stanca della propria verginità. Poi si mette a cantare e dopo poco l'equipaggio è in-cantato, addormentato, vinto dall'incantesimo. La bella li deruba di tutto e se ne torna alla sua spiaggia, per abbordare e depredare i prossimi maschi infoiati e scemi...