Re: -I- [jukebox] Swete Lemmon, I Preye Thee

Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 18:08:46 GMT
Newsgroups: rec.music.tori-amos
Size: 2,206 bytes

"Angela" <email-address-deleted> wrote:
[snip]
>The poem is more commonly called by its first line (usual, since
>they weren't titled back then), and for some reason the text
>you've been presented is updated. In case you're interested (and
>if the characters translate) the earliest version looks like this:
Thank you for posting this. 8-) Based on the online research that
I've done of the MBs, they don't seem to be doing this for
historical accuracy, but more just to have fun by recreating the
sound and ambiance of the music. Most likely they edited the poem to
make it more readable to modern eyes. The way they have written it
still allows someone reading along to follow the pronunciation
(which may not be accurate either).
>(the 3 represents a letter we no longer have, by the way, and it
>is usually replaced with a "y." þ is essentially "th" in one
>letter. Wonder if that'll convey.)
They came through. 8-)
>Between Lincon and Lindsey, Northampton and London,
[snip]
>I'm guessing they dropped the last verse to recast it from the
>feminine perspective, but considering that I think "Y waxe grene"
>(to wit: the wood grows) is a ribald comment, I find it changes
>the meaning. :)
The dropping of the last verse makes the song more applicable to
both genders, and the enduendo is a nice touch (hee). The lyric book
to the CD listed the title of the poem as Between Lincon and
Lindsey, but I didn't list that because I didn't see the reference.
Thanks for filling in the gap.
>I miss medievalism. :/
It's fascinating stuff. I've been greatly intrigued by midieval
music for a long time, especially the vocal counterpoint of the
early church.
>Thanks for letting me Geek out for a minute, even if you didn't
>intend that I should.
Your Geek is allowed to come out any time she chooses. Are there any
good online resources for the research of midieval English?
~Chris~
--
[ "It looks like this harmless child stumbled upon you ]
[ while you were fixing the vote so you eliminated him ]
[ as a witness and now you're doing away with his body ]
[ as evidence in what will surely become this week's ]
[ trial of the century." -White Mage, 8-bit Theatre ]