The Dark Eyed Sailor (Ralph Vaughan Williams)

From ChoralWiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Music files

L E G E N D Disclaimer How to download
ICON SOURCE
Icon_pdf.gif Pdf
Icon_snd.gif Midi
Icon_mp3.gif Mp3
MusicXML.png MusicXML
Sibelius.png Sibelius
File details.gif File details
Question.gif Help
Editor: Bradley Parese (submitted 2019-11-20).   Score information: Letter, 7 pages, 138 kB   Copyright: CPDL
Edition notes:

General Information

Title: The Dark Eyed Sailor
Composer: Ralph Vaughan Williams
Lyricist: Traditional

Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB

Genre: SecularFolksong

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1913

Description:

External websites:

Original text and translations

English.png English text

It was a comely young lady fair,
Was walking out for to take the air;
She met a sailor all on her way,
So I paid attention to what they did say.

Said William, "Lady, why walk alone?
The night is coming and the day near gone."
She said, while tears from her eyes did fall,
"It's a dark-eyed sailor that's proving my downfall.

"It's two long years since he left the land;
He took a gold ring from off my hand,
We broke the token, here's part with me,
And the other lies rolling at the bottom of the sea."

Then half the ring did young William show,
She was distracted midst joy and woe.
"O welcome, William, I've lands and gold
For my dark-eyed sailor so manly, true and bold."

Then in a village down by the sea,
They joined in wedlock and well agree.
So maids be true while your love's away,
For a cloudy morning brings forth a shining day.