The Briery Bush
13th Century
Child Ballad 95
O Hangman, stay thy hand,
And stay it for a while,
For I fancy I see my father
A coming across the yonder stile.
O, father, have you my gold?
And can you set me free?
Or are you come to see me hung?
All on the gallows tree?
No, I've not brought thee gold,
And I can't set thee free;
But I have come to see thee hung
All on the gallows tree.
Oh the briery bush,
That prickes my heart so sore
If I once get out of the briery bush,
I'll never get in any more.
O Hangman, stay thy hand,
And stay it for a while,
For I fancy I see my father
A coming across the yonder stile.
Repeat the verses above with
other relatives -
Mother, Brother, Sister, etc.
The song concludes with
The arrival of her "True Love" as below:
O Hangman, stay thy hand,
And stay it for a while
For I fancy I see my true love
A coming across the yonder stile.
O true-love, have you my gold?
And can you set me free?
Or are you come to see me hung
All on the gallows tree?
O yes, I've brought thee gold,
And I can set thee free;
And I've not come to see thee hung
All on the gallows tree.
O the briery bush,
That pricks my heart so sore;
Now I've got out of the briery bush,
I'll never get in any more.
DayPoems Poem No. 2502
<a href="http://www.daypoems.net/poems/2502.html">The Briery Bush by Anonymous</a>
The DayPoems Poetry Collection, www.daypoems.net
Timothy Bovee, editor
Poets Poems