The Wooing Songe of a Yeoman of Kent's Sonne

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I very much like this humorous song from Thomas Ravenscroft's melismata. In the original it was set in four parts Treble, Medius & Bassus. The main melody is in the Tenor, following an earlier convention which did not put the melody at the top. The words are only in the Tenor part except for the chorus where all four voices echo back the last two lines of the verse which is sung in all four parts. This suggests that a mixture of instruments and voices would have been entirely appropriate for this Song. I have arranged it for four recorders, but other instruments or a mixture of instruments and voices would serve equally well.

I have only put two repeats in the music, so there are not enough repeats of the music for the whole song.

  1. I Have house and land in Kent,
    and if you値 love me love me now:
    Two pence halfe-peny is my rent,
    I cannot come every day to woo
    Chorus
    Two pence halfe-peny is his rent,
    he cannot come every day to woo.

  2. Ich am my vathers only sonne,
    My mother eke doth love me well,
    For ich can bravely clout my shoone,
    And ich full well can ring a bell
    For he can bravely clout his shoone,
    And he full well can ring a bell

  3. My vather he gave me a hogge,
    My mother she gave me a zow,
    I have a God-vather dwels thereby,
    And he on me bestowed a plow.
    He has a God-vather dwels thereby,
    And he on him bestowed a plow.

  4. One time a gave the a paper of pins,
    Anoder time a taudry lace
    And if thou wilt not grant me love
    In truth ich die before thy vace
    And if thou wilt not grant his love,
    In truth hee値 die before thy vace.

  5. Ich have been twice our Whitsun Lord,
    Ich have had Ladies many vare,
    And eke thou hast my heart in hold,
    And in my mind zeemes passing rare,
    And eke thou hast his hart in hold,
    And in his mind seemes passing rare.

  6. Ich will put on my best white sloppe,
    And ich will weare my yellow hose,
    And on my head a good gray hat,
    And in稚 ich stick a lovely rose
    And on his head a good gray hat,
    And in稚 hee値 stick a lovely rose.

  7. Wherefore cease off, make no delay,
    And if you値e love me, love me now,
    Or els ich zeeke zome oder where,
    For I cannot come every day to woo,
    Or els hee値 zeek zome oder where,
    For hee cannot come every day to woo.