The Queen Of Elfan's Nourice Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A B C C DEFE DFFF E FGC FGCH EF FGF CGFG CFE FGFG CE FIJ

The Text As printed in Sharpe's Ballad Book from the Skene MS No It is fragmentary regrettably so especially as stanzas belong to Thomas RymerA
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The Story is the well known one of the abduction of a young mother to be the Queen of Elfland's nurse Fairies elves water sprites and nisses or brownies have constantly required mortal assistance in the nursing of fairy children Gervase of Tilbury himself saw a woman stolen away for this purpose as she was washing clothes in the RhoneB
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The genuineness of this ballad deficient as it is is best proved by its lyrical nature which as Child says 'forces you to chant and will not be read '-
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'Elfan ' of course is Elfland 'nourice ' a nurseC
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THE QUEEN OF ELFAN'S NOURICEC
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'I heard a cow low a bonnie cow lowD
An' a cow low down in yon glenE
Lang lang will my young son greetF
Or his mother bid him come benE
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'I heard a cow low a bonnie cow lowD
An' a cow low down in yon fauldF
Lang lang will my young son greetF
Or his mither take him frae cauldF
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Waken Queen of ElfanE
An' hear your nourice moan '-
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'O moan ye for your meatF
Or moan ye for your feeG
Or moan ye for the ither bountiesC
That ladies are wont to gie '-
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'I moan na for my meatF
Nor moan I for my feeG
Nor moan I for the ither bountiesC
That ladies are wont to gieH
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But I moan for my young sonE
I left in four nights auldF
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'I moan na for my meatF
Nor yet for my feeG
But I mourn for Christen landF
It's there I fain would be '-
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'O nurse my bairn nourice ' she saysC
'Till he stan' at your kneeG
An' ye's win hame to Christen landF
Whar fain it's ye wad beG
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'O keep my bairn nouriceC
Till he gang by the hauldF
An' ye's win hame to your young sonE
Ye left in four nights auld '-
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'O nourice lay your headF
Upo' my kneeG
See ye na that narrow roadF
Up by yon treeG
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That's the road the righteous goesC
And that's the road to heavenE
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'An' see na ye that braid roadF
Down by yon sunny fellI
Yon's the road the wicked gaeJ
An' that's the road to hell '-

Frank Sidgwick



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The Queen Of Elfan's Nourice is a poem by Frank Sidgwick. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.



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