• old filk of mine (with minor changes)

    From Mark Mandel@21:1/5 to All on Mon May 31 16:04:14 2021
    The Harper and the Viking
    Words copyright 1996 Mark A. Mandel

    Music: "Waltzing Matilda" (A.B."Banjo" Paterson)

    Once a wand'ring harper caught a boat ride up a fjord,
    stopped at a steading, the jarl to see.
    
"A skald!" cried the jarl. "Just what I've been waiting for.

    You'll sing the Volsungasaga to me!"

    Volsungasaga, Volsungasaga,
    You'll sing the Volsungasaga to me.
    "Skald!" cried the jarl. "You're what I've been waiting for.
    You'll sing the Volsungasaga to me!"

    Soon mead was flowing, folk were in the feasting hall.

    Up spoke the jarl: "Here is your fee:

    These three heavy gold rings here and now I give to you.

    You'll sing the Volsungasaga to me!"

    Volsungasaga, Volsungasaga,
    You'll sing the Volsungasaga to me.
    "These three heavy gold rings here and now I give to you
    if you'll sing the Volsungasaga to me!"

    The skald struck his harp and sang of heroes, doom, and death,

    stopped for a drink at a quarter past three,
saying
    "'Long about sunrise, we'll be nearly halfway done.

    You'll sing the Volsungasaga to me!"

    Volsungasaga, Volsungasaga,
    You'll sing the Volsungasaga to me.
    "'Long about sunrise, we'll be nearly halfway done.
    You'll sing the Volsungasaga to me!"

    Up jumped the jarl, brandishing his battleaxe.
    
"Stop singing ose or I'll kill you!" cried he...

    And the ghost of that skald may be heard beside that icy fjord:
    
"You'll sing the Volsungasaga to me!"

    Volsungasaga, Volsungasaga,
    You'll sing the Volsungasaga to me.
    And the ghost of that skald may be heard beside that icy fjord:
    "You'll sing the Volsungasaga to me!"


    "Banjo" Paterson: Yes, indeedy, this "traditional" old song has a known author.
    skald = bard, jarl = chieftain
    Verse 1, line 2, then becomes: "... the jarl for to see" and
    verse 2, line 2, becomes: "Up spoke the jarl, saying..."
    ose: Music that is "ose, ose, and mor(e-)ose". Guaranteed to bring on clinical depression if an antidote (such as a cheerful or rousing song, or a real stinker of a pun) is not applied.

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