The ballad of Semmerwater (Edgar Bainton)
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- (Posted 2023-09-18) CPDL #75463:
- Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2023-09-18). Score information: Letter, 12 pages, 699 kB Copyright: Personal
- Edition notes:
General Information
Title: The ballad of Semmerwater
Composer: Edgar Bainton
Lyricist: William Watson
Number of voices: 4vv Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong
Language: English
Instruments: A cappella
First published: 1910 J. Curwen & Sons
Description:
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
North-Country Legend
Deep asleep, deep asleep,
Deep asleep it lies,
The still lake of Semerwater
Under the still skies.
And many a fathom, many a fathom,
Many a fathom below,
In a king’s tower and a queen’s bower
The fishes come and go.
Once there stood by Semmerwater
A mickle town and tall;
King’s tower and queen’s bower
And the wakeman on the wall.
Came a beggar halt and sore:
“I faint for lack of Bread!”
King’s tower and queen’s bower
Cast him forth unfed.
He knocked at the door of the eller’s cot,
The eller’s cot in the dale.
They gave him of their oatcake,
They gave him of their ale.
He has cursed aloud that city proud,
He has cursed it in its pride;
He has cursed it into Semmerwater
Down the brant hillside;
He has cursed it into Semmerwater,
There to bide.
King’s tower and queen’s bower
And a mickle town and tall;
By glimmer of scale and gleam of fin,
Folk have seen them all.
King’s tower and queen’s bower,
And weed and reed in the gloom;
And a lost city in Semmerwater,
Deep asleep till Doom.