"The Three Riddles"

X:7
T:"The Three Riddles"
T:Riddles wisely expounded
B:Bronson
C:Trad
O:Barry and Bayard, BFSSNE, No. 10 (1935), p.8 and No.
12 (1937), p.8. Sung by Florence Mixer, Stonington,
Maine, 1936; learned from her father.
H:If this be a genuine tune, and no mere singsong, it may bear some
comparison with "Newmill" in the Greig MSS., Tune-book I, p.91.
As Barry explains, the text derives from Aytoun's translation of
Herder's translation of D'Urfey's broadside version.
N:Child 7
G:B
M:3/4
K:Am % Bronson has the key as "C Anomalous"
"(a)"E | A>A d3 B | A>A F2 z c |
w:'Twas of a gay young cav-al-ier, of
"(b)"c3 A A>A | A3 z z "(c)"A | Bc e3 c |
w:hon-our and re-nown; All for to seek a
B>B G2 z c | c3 G G>G | G3 z z ||
w:la-dy fair, He rode from town to town.
%
%Alternative tunes on parts of some stanzas: Un-comment the next 6
%lines to display after the music.
%"(a)ST.4"B | e3 c B>A | G F3 z c ||
%"(a) ST.6"B | d3 B c>A | G F3 z c ||
%"(b) ST.7,II"d | d3 B B>B | B3 z z ||
%"(b) ST. 8,13"B | B3 G G>G | G3 z z | e3 ||
%"(c) ST.6"c | e3 c d>B | A F3 z c ||
%"(c)ST.7,9"d | f3 d e>c | B G3 z c | E3 ||
W:
W:'Twas of a gay young cavalier,
W:of honour and renown;
W:All for to seek a lady fair,
W:He rode from town to town.
W:
W:'Twas at a woman widow's door
W:He drew his rein so free
W:For by her side the knight espied
W:Her comely daughters three
W:
W:Small marvel if his gallant heart
W:Beat quick within his breast;
W:'Twas hard to choose, yet hard to loose,
W:Which might he wed the best.
W:
W:"Come maidens, pretty maidens,
W:Come read my riddles three;
W:And she who reads the best of all
W:My loving bride shall be;
W:
W:"Oh tell me what is longer
W:Than the longest path there be;
W:And tell me what is deeper
W:Than is the deepest sea.
W:
W:"And tell me what is louder
W:Than is the loudest horn;
W:And tell me what is sharper
W:Than is the sharpest thorn.
W:
W:"And tell me what is greener
W:Than the grass on yonder hill,
W:And tell me what is crueller
W:Than a wicked woman's will."
W:
W:The eldest and the second maid
W:They sat and thought a while
W:The youngest she looked up at him
W:And said with a merry smile;
W:
W:"Love, surely it is longer
W:Than the longest path there be;
W:And Hell, they say is deeper
W:Than is the deepest sea;
W:
W:"Thunder, I know is louder
W:Than is the loudest horn;
W:And hunger it is sharper
W:Than is the sharpest thorn;
W:
W:"I know a deadly poison, greener
W:than the grass on yonder hill;
W:And a foul fiend is crueller
W:Than a wicked woman's will."
W:
W:Now scarcely had she spoke these words
W:When the youth was at her side;
W:'Twas all for what she answered him
W:He claimed her for his bride.
W:
W:The eldest and the second maid,
W:They pondered and were dumb;
W:And they, perchance are waiting yet,
W:Some other one to come.
W:
W:Now maidens, pretty maidens,
W:Be neither coy nor shy
W:But always, when a lover speaks,
W:Look kindly and reply.