Simon, Paul—Scarborough Fair

(Lyrics are included in the video)

I am well aware that the original song was written long ago in England and that there are much older versions of this song, closer to the original, to be found elsewhere.. However I feel that the Simon and Garfunkel version deserves to be regarded as a very poetic rendering of the song in its own right. Here it is combined with the lyrics of another song and accompanied by the music and singing of both these artists.

The Wikipedia article below explains some of the ongoing evolution of this enchanting song.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarborough_Fair_(ballad)

Something closer to the original (anonymous) version of the lyrics is below:

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Remember me to one who lives there,
For once she was a true lover of mine

Tell her to make me a cambric shirt,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Without a seam or needlework,
Then she shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell her to wash it in yonder well,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Where never spring water or rain ever fell,
And she shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell her to dry it on yonder thorn,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Which never bore blossom since Adam was born,
Then she shall be a true lover of mine.

Now he has asked me questions three,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
I hope he’ll answer as many for me
Before he shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell him to buy me an acre of land,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Between the salt water and the sea sand,
Then he shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell him to plough it with a ram’s horn,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
And sow it all over with one pepper corn,
And he shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell him to sheer’t with a sickle of leather,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
And bind it up with a peacock feather.
And he shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell him to thrash it on yonder wall,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme,
And never let one corn of it fall,
Then he shall be a true lover of mine.

When he has done and finished his work.
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme:
Oh, tell him to come and he’ll have his shirt,
And he shall be a true lover of mine.

Anonymous (British)

There are many versions of this ballad.
Above video is the song version of Simon and Garfunkel

Burns, Robert – Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet,
For days of auld lang syne.

We twa hae run aboot the braes
And pull’d the gowans fine.
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
Since days of auld lang syne.

And we twa hae paid’l’d in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roared
Since days of auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet,
For days of auld lang syne.

—

And surely you’ll be your pint stoop,
And surely I’ll be mine;
And we’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

And ther’s a hand, my trusty fier’,
And gie’s a hand to thine;
And we’ll tak’ a right good willywaught,
For auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

Robert Burns

(Sung by Dougie McLean)

Tagore, Rabindranath – Stream Of Life

 

The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.
 
It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
 
It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth and of death, in ebb and in flow.
 
I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life.
 
And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment.
 
Rabindranath Tagore

O, Chris – The Slave

Chris O
Musical accompaniment – Thomas Brunkard

Reposted from Soundcloud – Thomas Brunkard

Masefield, John – Sea fever

Author Notes:

 
Play the track, and read this poem out LOUD for best effect. This poem is full of passion for LIFE, and conveys the emotional impact of the sea. Read it and feel ALIVE!
 

 
I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking,

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.
 
John Masefield

Soundcloud Music track  by Ashley Edgar