Miner’s Daughter VS Reynardine: First Draft

After the Richard Thompson concert, the deluge!

One of the songs he ended on (one of three–I think?–encores) was Fairport Convention’s “Reynardine,” (lyrics here), a version of the Reynardine ballad.

So then, I wrote this at midnight on the subway with the idea of adding it to the Distant Stars ballads. (More about Ballads from a Distant Star here!)

The aliens in the Distant Stars abduction narrative present as “face of fox and tail of scorpion,” so the Reynardine ballad fits in well. Or rather, we’ve stolen enough ballads to retell them that ONE MORE feels JUST RIGHT. Maybe WE are the Reynardines.

Of course, given my druthers, I never like to end with women vanishing and villains winning. There’s enough of that in the world.

And so:

MINER’S DAUGHTER VS REYNARDINE

“Come thou hither, miner’s daughter 
With thy braids as black as night 
With thy face so brown and shining 
And thine eyes so full of light 
Come and see my crystal castle
Turrets glitter, ramparts gleam
Come and wake me from my slumber
Come and kiss thy Reynardine!”

Come and kiss thy Reynardine
Deep within the forest green
Come and kiss thy Reynardine

What is she who grins so whitely?
What is she who calls so sweet? 
Phantom vixen, shade or shadow—
Are you after love, or meat?
Sure, I am a miner’s daughter 
Came my father long ago 
Press-ganged from the highest heaven 
To dig down in the mines below 

Come and kiss thy Reynardine
Deep within the forest green
Come and kiss thy Reynardine

Dug he deep, and dug he deeply 
Till he struck upon a stone 
Till he found a maid imprisoned 
Broke the rock and brought her home 
So you see, your snare can’t catch me 
O my clever Reynardine 
For I am a miner’s daughter 
And my mother is a queen 

Come and kiss thy Reynardine
Deep within the forest green
Come and kiss thy Reynardine

Yes, my mother has a castle
Crystal walls in crystal glade
Told me, “O beware, my daughter 
O, beware the vixen’s shade
She will find you in the forest 
Lure you to her casket stone 
She will bid you break her shackles  
Kiss her mouth and bring her home”

Come and kiss thy Reynardine
Deep within the forest green
Come and kiss thy Reynardine

“And that home will be our castle
And our bowels be her bowl 
She will drink your father’s heart-blood 
Sipped from out your mother’s skull 
Oh beware, beware my daughter 
Listen to your mother queen
And do not forsake your people 
For the love of Reynardine!”

Come and kiss thy Reynardine
Deep within the forest green
Come and kiss thy Reynardine

No, my love is strong and supple
Oh, my love is fierce and wild 
And she’ll meet me in this dark wood
Where we two will bide a while
Walk we two up to your casket
Kneel we there upon your stone
Pledge our love now and forever
Seal you fast to die alone

Come and kiss thy Reynardine
Deep within the forest green
Come and kiss thy Reynardine

Die, ye shade whose will would smite us
Die, ye poison in the breast
Seven times thy spite turn on thee
Seven times put thee to rest 
Then at journey’s end we’ll travel
For to see my mother queen
At her table, feast and revel
At the fall of Reynardine!

Now has fallen Reynardine
Deep within the forest green
Now has fallen Reynardine!