Our Goodman

The Text is from Herd's MSS., as given by Professor Child to form a regular sequence. The ballad also exists in an English broadside form.


The Story of the ballad has a close counterpart in Flemish Belgium, and in southern France. The German variants, however, have a curious history. The English broadside ballad was translated into German by F. W. Meyer in 1789, and in this form gained such popularity that it was circulated not only as a broadside, but actually in oral tradition,--with the usual result of alteration. Its vogue was not confined to Germany, but spread to Hungary and Scandinavia, a Swedish broadside appearing within ten years of Meyer's translation.


OUR GOODMAN

    1.
    Hame came our goodman,
        And hame came he,
    And then he saw a saddle-horse,
        Where nae horse should be.

    2.
    'What's this now, goodwife?
        What's this I see?
    How came this horse here,
        Without the leave o' me?'
    Recitative.
                'A horse?' quo' she.
                'Ay, a horse,' quo' he.

    3.
    'Shame fa' your cuckold face,
        Ill mat ye see!
    'Tis naething but a broad sow,
        My minnie sent to me.'
                'A broad sow?' quo' he.
                'Ay, a sow,' quo' shee.

    4.
    'Far hae I ridden,
        And farer hae I gane,
    But a saddle on a sow's back
        I never saw nane.'

    5.
    Hame came our goodman,
        And hame came he;
    He spy'd a pair of jack-boots,
        Where nae boots should be.

    6.
    'What's this now, goodwife?
        What's this I see?
    How came these boots here,
        Without the leave o' me?'
                'Boots?' quo' she.
                'Ay, boots,' quo' he.

    7.
    'Shame fa' your cuckold face,
        And ill mat ye see!
    It's but a pair of water-stoups,
        My minnie sent to me.'
                'Water-stoups?' quo' he.
                'Ay, water-stoups,' quo' she.

    8.
    'Far hae I ridden,
        And farer hae I gane,
    But siller spurs on water-stoups
        I saw never nane.'

    9.
    Hame came our goodman,
        And hame came he,
    And he saw a sword,
        Whare a sword should na be.

    10.
    'What's this now, goodwife?
        What's this I see?
    How came this sword here,
        Without the leave o' me?'
                'A sword?' quo' she.
                'Ay, a sword,' quo' he.

    11.
    'Shame fa' your cuckold face,
        Ill mat ye see!
    It's but a porridge-spurtle,
        My minnie sent to me.'
                'A spurtle?' quo' he.
                'Ay, a spurtle,' quo' she.

    12.
    'Far hae I ridden,
        And farer hae I gane,
    But siller-handed spurtles
        I saw never nane.'

    13.
    Hame came our goodman,
        And hame came he;
    There he spy'd a powder'd wig,
        Where nae wig shoud be.

    14.
    'What's this now, goodwife?
        What's this I see?
    How came this wig here,
        Without the leave o' me?'
                'A wig?' quo' she.
                'Ay, a wig,' quo' he.

    15.
    'Shame fa' your cuckold face,
        And ill mat you see!
    'Tis naething but a clocken-hen,
        My minnie sent to me.'
                'Clocken hen?' quo' he.
                'Ay, clocken hen,' quo' she.

    16.
    'Far hae I ridden,
        And farer hae I gane,
    But powder on a clocken-hen
        I saw never nane.'

    17.
    Hame came our goodman,
        And hame came he,
    And there he saw a muckle coat,
        Where nae coat shoud be.

    18.
    'What's this now, goodwife?
        What's this I see?
    How came this coat here,
        Without the leave o' me?'
                'A coat?' quo' she.
                'Ay, a coat,' quo' he.

    19.
    'Shame fa' your cuckold face,
        Ill mat ye see!
    It's but a pair o' blankets,
        My minnie sent to me.'
                'Blankets?' quo' he.
                'Ay, blankets,' quo' she.

    20.
    'Far hae I ridden,
        And farer hae I gane,
    But buttons upon blankets
        I saw never nane.'

    21.
    Ben went our goodman,
        And ben went he,
    And there he spy'd a sturdy man,
        Where nae man shoud be.

    22.
    'What's this now, goodwife?
        What's this I see?
    How came this man here,
        Without the leave o' me?'
                'A man?' quo' she.
                'Ay, a man,' quo' he.

    23.
    'Poor blind body,
        And blinder mat ye be!
    It's a new milking-maid,
        My mither sent to me.'
                'A maid?' quo' he.
                'Ay, a maid,' quo' she.

    24.
    'Far hae I ridden,
        And farer hae I gane,
    But lang-bearded maidens
        I saw never nane.'