There has been so much lovely birdsong lately with it being spring, though they have been singing away in my garden for ages.
I was just thinking what videos do I have with some nice bird accompaniment… so here is a good one AND the song is off the new album too (track 2).
This is one of our newest released tracks (yet one of our oldest songs) and the one that I was thinking about the other day as I was walking with my dog on a huge open field.
The particular spot I call it “The Lark Field” as it is where the larks seem to gather. They returned a month or two ago. You can watch as they fly high into the sky. It is truly magical.
The field is right in-between an old airbase and a new housing estate that slowly encroaches in the distance. It is a beautiful sanctuary close to the city but away from all the noise and the darkness.
I started singing to myself as I went along….
“As I was walking o-er the main,
I spied two corbies making the mane…”
Yes there were a couple of crows there too on the field. In the song “corbies” refers to ravens but it could so equally be crows (both related and known as ‘corvids’)
You can listen to this track here
Or get the full album digitally or on CD here
Here are the full words
“As I was walkin’ o-er the main
I spied twa corbies makkin the mane;
The tain unto the tither did say-o,
“Where shall we gang and dine today-o,
Where sall we gang and dine today?”
“In behind yon auld fail dyke
I know there lies a new-slain knight;
Nobody kens that he lies there-o
But his hawk and his hound and his lady fair-o,
His hawk and his hound and his lady fair.”
“His hound is to the huntin gane,
His hawk to fetch the wildfowl hame;
His lady’s ta’en another mate-o
Sae we may mak our dinner sweet-o,
Sae we may mak our dinner sweet.”
“You’ll light opon his white hause-bane
And I’ll pik out his bonny blue een;
Wi many a lock o his yellow hair-o
We’ll theek our nest when it grows bare-o,
We’ll theek our nest when it grows bare.”
“And many a one for him maks mane
But nane shall ken where he is gane;
O’er his white bones when they are bare-o
The wind shall blaw for evermair-o,
The wind shall blow for evermair.”
Originally from Scotland this is an traditional murder ballad. I just love how it is written in dialect. There is actually much crossover with close European languages…
While I was looking for the words and a bit of the history I was happily surprised to come across some other versions from our cousins in Scandinavia - in this case Norway:
Folque sing Ravnene
Der jeg meg så ene i vang monne gå,
Jeg hørte to ravner at holde råd.
Den ene seg til den annen vendte:
“Hvor skal i dag vi vår føde hente?”
Bak gresstorv-diket det gamle hist
Der ligger en nyslagen ridder forvisst,
Og ingen vet at han ligger der
Enn hans høk, hans hund og hans hjertens kjær.
Hans hund den jager i vilden skov,
Hans høk den søker bak sky sitt rov.
Hans frue har givet en annen sin tro
Så vi kan ete vår mat i ro.
Hans hvite halsben kan du sitte på
Så hogger jeg ut hans øyne blå.
Og med en lokk av hans gule hår
Vi dekker vårt rede neste vår.
Translation
When I saw one of them, I was allowed to go,
I heard two ravens keeping council.
The one turned to the other:
“Where are we going to get our food today?”
Behind the grass-dike, the old wall
There is a newly slain knight lying for sure,
And nobody knows he’s lying there
But his hawk, his hound and his heart’s dear.
His hound is hunting in the wild wood,
His hawk it seeks behind the clouds.
His wife has given to another her faith
So we can eat our food in peace.
His white neck-bone you can you sit on
Then I peck out his eyes blue.
And with a lock of his yellow hair
We’ll thatch our nest next spring.
(as I wrote this in the early hours this morning I couldn’t believe how absolutely awesome this Danish version is and, despite never having spoken a word of Danish, had a go at singing along myself!)…
You’ll have to excuse me as I was feeling a little delirious/sleep deprived. My youngest did not want to go to sleep last night and then I got second wind despite being so tired before. Once he’s asleep though nothing wakes him!! not even this row!
Anyway - see you again soon for more songs from The Russell Sisters album
I’m at a local business Expo tomorrow so got to get ready for that and also do two million other tasks. So bye for now!!
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