Letter to George Thomson: 3 July 1809
single sheet Mr George
Thomson Trustees Office Exchange Edinburgh [Note, presumably in Thomson’s hand, in left margin] 3d July 1809 Mr Tannahill Paisley
– 4 Irish tunes within – and Songs
to some of them – Ansd. that
that the one beginning “One night “in my youth as I “rov’d &c
seem’d the best, & the only one I would like to adopt. Peggy
O’ Rafferty. [two lines music] Song – –
– Peggy O’ Rafferty _______________ O could I fly like
the green-coated fairy, I’d skip o’er the
ocean to dear Tipperary, Where all the young
fellows are blithsome and merry, While here I lament my sweet
Peggy O’Rafferty; How could I bear in
my bosom to leave her -- In absence I think
her more lovely than ever-- With thoughts of her
beauty I’m all in a fever, Since others may woo my sweet
Peggy O’Rafferty! Scotland, thy lassies
are modest and bonny, But here ev’ry Jenny
has got her own Johnny, And tho’ I might call
them my jewel and honey, My heart is at home with sweet
Peggy O’Rafferty; Wistful, I think on
my dear native mountains, Their green shady
glens, and their crystalline fountains, And ceaseless I heave
the deep sigh of repentance, That ever I left my sweet Peggy
O’Rafferty. Fortune, ’twas thine
all the light foolish notion That led me to rove
o’er the wide-rolling ocean, But what now to me
all thy hopes of promotion, Since I am so far from sweet
Peggy O’Rafferty; Grant me as many
thirteens as will carry me Down thro’ the
Country, and over the Ferry, I’ll hie me straight
home into dear Tipperary, And
never more leave my sweet Peggy O’Rafferty. X The Lass
that wears green. Irish [2 lines
music ] Song
– – – One night in my youth. written for the
above Air. _____________________ One night in my youth
as I rov’d with my merry pipe, List’ning the echoes that sung to
the tune, I met Kitty More,
with her two lips so cherry ripe, Phelim, says she, give us Ellen
Aroon; ‘Dear Kitty , says I, thou’rt so charmingly free! Now if thou wilt deign thy sweet
voice to the measure, ’Twill make all the
echoes run giddy with pleasure, For none in wide ˄fair˄
Erin can sing it like thee. My chanter I plied,
with my heart beating gaily, I pip’d up the strain, while so
sweetly she sung; The soft melting
melody fill’d all the valley, The green woods around us in
harmony rung; Metho[ught] [Note running vertically in left margin.
Ink is different, most likely Thomson’s hand.] This appears to me the only
passable Song of the three in this letter — The tunes
seem to be pretty good, particularly the one mark’d No. 4 next page. [#] Methought that she verily charmed
up the moon! And now, as I wander
in village or city, When good people ask
me some favourite Ditty, I cheer my old heart with sweet
Ellen Aroon. ___________________ Gamby Ora. Irish [2 lines music, with chorus marked] Song
– Ye golden stars. written for
the above Air. __________________________________ Ye golden stars that
rule the night, And hail my glad returning, Ye never shone so
sweetly bright, Since gay Saint
Patrick’s morning. My life a burthen on
my mind, Despair sat brooding o’er me, Now all my cares are
far behind, And joy is full before me; Chor. – – Gamby Ora, Gamby Ora, How my heart approves
me! Gamby Ora, Gamby Ora, Cathlien owns she
loves me! Were all the flow’ry
pastures mine, That deck fair Limerick county, That wealth, dear
Cathlien, all were ˄should be˄ thine, And all should share our bounty; But Fortune’s gifts I
value not, Nor Grandeur’s highest station, I would not change my
happy lot For all the Irish nation; Chor. – – Gamby Ora, Gamby Ora, How my heart approves
me! Gamby Ora, Gamby Ora, Cathlien owns she
loves me! ________________________________________ 4 There
was a gentle Lady. Irish Sett. [2 lines
music] I
think this a very pleasant sprightly Air, but it has such a long rambling
unmeasured Chorus, that it will be hard to fit the middle part of it with any
thing like rhyme. In Ireland it is sung universally to their set of that
blackguard song “There
was a gentle Lady, And
she lov’d a Tinker man.” [#] Paisley
3d July 1809 My Dear Sir I have gleaned the
three preceding Airs for you. You may depend on their being genuine Hibernians –
I had them taken down from the voice. The songs usually sung to them are as
low, bawdry stuff as can be. I am firmly of opinion that the very
popular Air of Paddy O’Rafferty is worthy of being adopted into the sing class
providing a good song can be had for it. I shall be glad to know your mind of
it, and how my verses please you. “The lass that wears green,” is surely a fine
little Air my song to it and the one following are just warm from the
Parnassian mint, I cannot as yet guess how they stand. With regard to the
latter, “Gamby-Ora” I take to be an exclamation of self-congratulation
synonymous with the Scottish, Leez me! and Weels
me! as such I have retained it in the Chorus;
however, in this I may be wrong. Cathlien (not Kathlin) is the proper
orthography of the name. You have obliged me much by your observations on The
Irish Farmer, from them I am confident the song is bettered. In the 1st
verse let vigour stand for “labour”. I am not pleased with
“vaunty” in the 2d yet I cannot mend it. I believe
the word to be common among the low Irish as well as in Scotland, besides ’tis
only a variation of the English verb, to vount. To fatten ourselves
is coarsely thought indeed, but “With good Driminduath and the pig” in its
place. Driminduath is a general name in Ireland for the cow. The 5th
and 6th stanzas must be compressed into one.
I thank you doubly for noticing this, please draw your pen thro’ the
supperfluous lines. The Air designed for it is unquestionably Irish, and I
believe some publisher on this side the water has given it the name of Sir
John Scott’s Favourite. You will find it (un-nam’d) along with that of
“Molly my Dear” in one of my former letters; I wish you to try them with the wor[ds] and tell me how you think they will suit. I see a
Proposal a-float for publishing a Collection of Irish Airs and Jigs with
accompaniments by Murphy, a performer on the pipes at Eglintone Castle; you
will likely have seen it. Do you know “Emhuss O’Knuck, or, Ned of the
Hills, a famous Irishman – I have a copy of it by me, it is very beautiful,
but its irregularity will cramp any body who may attempt verses to it – should
you want it I will send it when I chance to write again. As far as I have heard
in my narrow circle of information the Public are waiting anxiously for the
Publication of your Welch volume. I believe no doubts are entertained of its
being the first of the kind ever presented to the public. I heard the other
night that our countrymen, Campbell and Scott were writing songs for your Welch
and Irish works; I should be happy to but perhaps the enquiry would be
improper, if so, look over it. I remain Dr
Sir Yours
most faithfully Robt
Tannahill P.S. Please address Queenstreet
Paisley. Mr George
Thomson Edinburgh Emendations: Methought • Metho[u◊◊◊] words • wor[d◊] Copy Text: MS Robertson 1/26 Previous Publications: Notes: |