Twelfth-night
: CUSTOM RHYMES: Popular Rhymes And Nursery Tales
The following verses are said to be in some way or other connected with
the amusements of this festival. They refer probably to the choosing the
king and the queen on Twelfth-night:
Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, lavender's green,
When I am king, dilly dilly, you shall be queen:
Who told you so, dilly dilly, who told you so?
'Twas mine own heart, dilly dilly, that told me so.
Call up your men, dilly dilly, set them to work,
Some with a rake, dilly dilly, some with a fork;
Some to make hay, dilly dilly, some to thresh corn,
Whilst you and I, dilly dilly, keep ourselves warm.
If you should die, dilly dilly, as it may hap,
You shall be buried, dilly dilly, under the tap;
Who told you so, dilly dilly, pray tell me why?
That you might drink, dilly dilly, when you are dry.
Another version may be given for the sake of adding the traditional tune
to which it was sung:
here as an Abc-notation; see Transcriber's Note.]
Title: Lavender blue.
Time signature: 6/8.
Default note length: 1/16.
Key: C.
c2 c2 d2 c2 B A G F
Lavender blue, fiddle faddle,
f2 e2 d2 c3
Lavender green.
c2 c2 d2 c2 B A G F
When I am king, fiddle faddle,
G2 G2 A2 G3
You shall be queen.
c2 e2 d2 c2 A A A A
Call up your men, fiddle faddle;
c2 e2 d2 c3
Set them to work--
c2 =B2 A2 G2 C C C C
Some with a rake, fiddle faddle--
c2 d2 =B2 c3
Some with a fork--
c2 c2 c2 c2 B A G F
Some to make hay, fiddle faddle--
f2 e2 d2 c3
Some to the farm,
c2 c2 d2 c2 B A G F
Whilst you and I, fiddle faddle
f2 A2 G2 F3
Keep ourselves warm.
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