Per me e' stata un poco una sorpresa imbattermi, mentre vagolavo per YouTube, in una versione cantata in inglese della canzone Geordie, che avevo sempre creduto scritta da Faber. Effettivamente De Andre' ha anche altre volte attinto alla tradizione popolare e non solo italiana, ma non avevo mai posto attenzione alla cosa.
La canzone di De Andre' e' un adattamento (edulcorato) di una ballata popolare inglese, come quella di Joan Baez che avete ascoltato. Quella di Baez e' uno dei primi adattamenti della ballata, fatto nel 1962, a cui ne sono seguiti molti altri, partendo dalla Francia, passando per la Russia e finendo in Danimarca, con vari cambiamenti di ambientazione, da Edinburgo a Newcastle, da Londra a Copenhagen. Alcune versioni, compresa quella di Joan Baez, nominano la cittadina di "Bohenny", che non e' mai stata soddisfacentemente localizzata, pero'.
La ballata stessa ha varie versioni, la piu' antica probabilmente una delle versioni scozzesi, facenti riferimento a vari accadimenti storici e personaggi in genere rei di ribellione, mentre nelle ballate la colpa e' anche, di volta in volta, omicidio, furto di cavalli o bracconaggio. Di seguito i testi dell'adattamento di Baez e della ballata piu' antica ambientata ad Edimburgo. Risalta, almeno ai miei occhi, la disponibilita' da parte della giovane protagonista, pur di avere salva la vita dell'innamorato, di separarsi da tutti i suoi figli, tre nell'adattamento di Baez, ben sette nella ballata (ma talvolta addirittura dodici), indicatore, ritengo, dell' usanza dell'epoca di disporre dei figli come proprieta'.
Geordie, adattamento di Joan Baez
As
I walked out over London bridge
one misty morning early
I overheard a fair pretty maid
was lamenting for her Geordie
Ah my Geordie will be hanged in a golden chain
This is not the chain of many
he was born of king's royal breed
and lost to a virtuous lady
Go bridle me my milk white steed,
go bridle me my pony,
I will ride to London's court
to plead for the life of Geordie
Ah my Geordie never stole nor cow nor calf
he never hurted any
Stole sixteen of the king's royal deer,
and he sold them in Bohenny.
Two pretty babies have I born
the third lies in my body
I'd freely part with them every one
if you'd spare the life of Geordie
The judge looked over his left shoulder
he said fair maid I'm sorry
he said fair maid you must be gone
for I cannot pardon Geordie.
Ah my Geordie will be hanged in a golden chain
This is not the chain of many
Stole sixteen of the king's royal deer,
and he sold them in Bohenny.
one misty morning early
I overheard a fair pretty maid
was lamenting for her Geordie
Ah my Geordie will be hanged in a golden chain
This is not the chain of many
he was born of king's royal breed
and lost to a virtuous lady
Go bridle me my milk white steed,
go bridle me my pony,
I will ride to London's court
to plead for the life of Geordie
Ah my Geordie never stole nor cow nor calf
he never hurted any
Stole sixteen of the king's royal deer,
and he sold them in Bohenny.
Two pretty babies have I born
the third lies in my body
I'd freely part with them every one
if you'd spare the life of Geordie
The judge looked over his left shoulder
he said fair maid I'm sorry
he said fair maid you must be gone
for I cannot pardon Geordie.
Ah my Geordie will be hanged in a golden chain
This is not the chain of many
Stole sixteen of the king's royal deer,
and he sold them in Bohenny.
There
was a battle in the north,
And nobles there was many,
And they hae kill'd Sir Charlie Hay,
And they laid the wyte on Geordie.
O he has written a lang letter,
He sent it to his lady;
Ye maun cum up to Enbrugh town
To see what words o' Geordie.
When first she look'd the letter on,
She was baith red and rosy;
But she had na read a word but twa,
Till she wallow't like a lily.
Gar get to me my gude grey steed,
My menzie a' gae wi' me;
For I shall neither eat nor drink,
Till Enbrugh town shall see me.
And she has mountit her gude grey steed,
Her menzie a' gaed wi' her;
And she did neither eat nor drink
Till Enbrugh town did see her.
And first appear'd the fatal block,
And syne the aix to head him;
And Geordie cumin down the stair,
And bands o' airn upon him.
But tho' he was chain'd in fetters strang,
O' airn and steel sae heavy,
There was na ane in a' the court,
Sae bra' a man as Geordie.
O she's down on her bended knee,
I wat she's pale and weary,
O pardon, pardon, noble king,
And gie me back my Dearie!
I hae born seven sons to my Geordie dear,
The seventh ne'er saw his daddie:
O pardon, pardon, noble king,
Pity a waefu' lady!
Gar bid the headin-man mak haste!
Our king reply'd fu' lordly:
O noble king, tak a' that's mine,
But gie me back my Geordie.
The Gordons cam and the Gordons ran,
And they were stark and steady;
And ay the word amang them a'
Was, Gordons keep you ready.
An aged lord at the king's right hand
Says, noble king, but hear me;
Gar her tell down five thousand pound
And gie her back her Dearie.
Some gae her marks, some gae her crowns,
Some gae her dollars many;
And she's tell'd down five thousand pound,
And she's gotten again her Dearie.
She blinkit blithe in her Geordie's face,
Says, dear I've brought thee. Geordie:
But there sud been bluidy bouks on the green,
Or I had tint my laddie.
He claspit her by the middle sma',
And he kist her lips sae rosy:
The fairest flower o' woman-kind
Is my sweet, bonie Lady!
And nobles there was many,
And they hae kill'd Sir Charlie Hay,
And they laid the wyte on Geordie.
O he has written a lang letter,
He sent it to his lady;
Ye maun cum up to Enbrugh town
To see what words o' Geordie.
When first she look'd the letter on,
She was baith red and rosy;
But she had na read a word but twa,
Till she wallow't like a lily.
Gar get to me my gude grey steed,
My menzie a' gae wi' me;
For I shall neither eat nor drink,
Till Enbrugh town shall see me.
And she has mountit her gude grey steed,
Her menzie a' gaed wi' her;
And she did neither eat nor drink
Till Enbrugh town did see her.
And first appear'd the fatal block,
And syne the aix to head him;
And Geordie cumin down the stair,
And bands o' airn upon him.
But tho' he was chain'd in fetters strang,
O' airn and steel sae heavy,
There was na ane in a' the court,
Sae bra' a man as Geordie.
O she's down on her bended knee,
I wat she's pale and weary,
O pardon, pardon, noble king,
And gie me back my Dearie!
I hae born seven sons to my Geordie dear,
The seventh ne'er saw his daddie:
O pardon, pardon, noble king,
Pity a waefu' lady!
Gar bid the headin-man mak haste!
Our king reply'd fu' lordly:
O noble king, tak a' that's mine,
But gie me back my Geordie.
The Gordons cam and the Gordons ran,
And they were stark and steady;
And ay the word amang them a'
Was, Gordons keep you ready.
An aged lord at the king's right hand
Says, noble king, but hear me;
Gar her tell down five thousand pound
And gie her back her Dearie.
Some gae her marks, some gae her crowns,
Some gae her dollars many;
And she's tell'd down five thousand pound,
And she's gotten again her Dearie.
She blinkit blithe in her Geordie's face,
Says, dear I've brought thee. Geordie:
But there sud been bluidy bouks on the green,
Or I had tint my laddie.
He claspit her by the middle sma',
And he kist her lips sae rosy:
The fairest flower o' woman-kind
Is my sweet, bonie Lady!
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