Traditional & Folk Songs with lyrics, midis & Mp3
Three Ravens

Home Main Menu | Song+Midis |A B1 B2 B3 B4 C1 C2 C3 D1 D2 E F G H I J K L1 L2 M N O P Q R S1 S2 S3 S4 T U V W1 W2 XYZ Search Voucher Codes



Share page  Visit Us On FB


The Three Ravens

Download Midi Download MP3
The Three Ravens

There were three ravens sat on a tree,
     Down a down, hey down, hey down
They were a black as black might be,
     With a down.
The one of them said to his mate.
"Where shall we our breakfast take?"
     With a down, derry, derry, derry down, down.

Down in yonder green field,
     Down a down, hey down, hey down
Their lies a knight slain under his shield,
     With a down.
His hounds they lie down at his feet
So well they do their master keep.
     With a down, derry, derry, derry down, down.

His hawks they fly so eagerly
     Down a down, hey down, hey down
No other fowl dare him come nigh,
     With a down.
Down there comes a fallow doe
As heavy with young as she might go.
     With a down, derry, derry, derry down, down.

She lifted up his bloody head,
     Down a down, hey down, hey down
And kissed his wounds that were so red,
     With a down.
She got him up upon her back
And carried him to earthen lake.
     With a down, derry, derry, derry down, down.

She buried him before the prime,
     Down a down, hey down, hey down
She was dead herself ere even-song time,
     With a down.

God send every gentleman
Such hawks, such hounds, and such leman,
     With a down, derry, derry, derry down, down.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
recorded on Richard Dyer-Bennet 4 and Nye's Early English Ballads
Child #26
From Ravenscroft's 1616 "Melismate"
DC
Download the song in PDF format Download the song in RTF format for editing etc.