Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Hunting Song (Pentangle)
From:
Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 20 Feb 13 - 06:01 AM
On both the Basket of Light and the BBC live recording at youtube, he seems to be actually singing Iselde, which may be just the way he sang Isolde.
I don't know if the Early Classics version is deliberately different from the Basket of Light recording, but there are several differences (some minor, some not) between the above transcription and that. Below is my transcription from Basket of Light, with a couple of differences in the live BBC recording ca 1970 that's on youtube.
Mick
THE HUNTING SONG
As I did travel all on a journey
Over the wayside and under a dark moon
Hanging above a mountain.
I spied a young man riding a fine horse,
Chasing a white hart and all through the woodland,
Head of a hunting cry.
And there followed after ten kings and queens,
Laughing and joking, the white hart they'd seen,
Lord, running into the bushes.
A plume to his helmet, a quiver and a bow.
There's nowhere to run now, there's no place to go
The hunter is past and ready
Still farther I journeyed through the hills and the valleys,
Until upon the verge of despair I sat and rested.
And there did pass a princely knight pursued by a lady,
And this she did say:
"Oh may I ask you kind sir where you are going?
And pray tell to me sir why you do hurry?
Strange that I should meet you here, come sit by me.
"I have here a magic horn to deliver.
And one drop from this silver and gold horn I hold, sir
Shall prove all to be false, lovers beware!"
"The gift that you bear for your brother the king
I gladly would carry to the banquet this ev'ning
What fair sport this would be for the maidens at court."
Wearily I crossed the stream to a castle,
Where I found shelter from the cold wintry wind,
And food did I have in plenty
But the Lord and Lady seemed so sad,
For these words they did say unto each other:
"My good lord, all off to war in thy armour,
Leaving me here alone to weep and to worry.
Take care lest misadventure
Shall overcome thy kindly heart,
My good lord, all off to war in thy armour."
"My lady, you have no need for to worry,
I'll return victorious and true unto thee.
Take care, lest misadventure
Shall stain(steal-BBC) your heart and lead to woe
My lady you have no need for to worry."
Instrumental + La,la to "Hey, ho, nobody home"
All underneath the spreading oak
A knight with white device
Upon a shield of black,
And deep in grief and sorrow sings
His unrequited love.
"Young noblewoman riding by,
Pray tell me have you seen
Queen Isolde the fairest maid,
In company she rides
For I swear to have revenge."
A thousand days have come and passed,
The Lord returned this night
A victor from the bloody wars
Proven his force and might
Is all that he would (could-BBC) claim
But fate has played its wanton game,
The circle come full turn
The magic horn has done its work,
Her falseness is found out!"
Good Sir your quest is over.
Source: Pentangle, Basket of Light (and few differences in ca1970 BBC recording)
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sj
