Carrion Crow/Barbagal

©Trad./Canto Vivo

        I hadn't sung "Carrion Crow" for some time until Gordon came up with "Barbagal," which is sung to the same tune. "carrion Crow" can be interpreted as a whimsically sad little piece in its own right, or as a thickly veiled reference to specific historical characters and events unknown to me. In either interpretation, it has a good chorus. I learned the song from George Ward, he from Michael Cooney, who, I believe, got it from Dorothy and Derek Elliott. My · knowledge of genealogy stops there, although other versions are found in a variety of sources, including Sharp's English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians. Lynn Hickerson sings a version from Lanax's Folk songs of North Jlmerica on Folk-Legacy's Five Days Singing, Vol. II (FSI-42) • (ET)

By the way, I omitted two verses that I learned from George (they would be verses 5 and 6):

"Oh," said the tailor, "I -care not a mouse; We'll have black pudding; chitterlings and souse."
"Oh," said his wife, "You're a silly old goose,
To kill your old sow and care not a mouse."

Mauro Quai, a friend from Italy whom we've never met, has been trading tapes and albums with me for many years. (He also writes very flattering reviews of Folk-Legacy artists in Italian Rock magazines, with undiminished courage.) He encourages acoustic music in many different ways; he's another bridgebuilder between cultures and their people, and there's no adequate way to thank a person 'for' that. It was because of Mauro that we heard the fine Italian group "Canto Vivo" (from the Piedmont) and learned this song. "Canto Vivo• has this to say about this version: "The meaning of this song, of whose text we are the authors, resides in the old proverb found in the last verse, a typical example of ironic piemontese nonsense. We believe it is possible to enjoy folk culture without 'bowler hat and briefcase,' but conceding ample_ space for simple amusements. so Ed, Ann, and I, who knew we had sung this song before, somewhere, set about tracking it down with bowler and briefcase in hand. Help was as close as the Patons. OUr thanks to the great Italian painter, Imero Gobbato (now of Camden), for his patience in helping with translations and many other guidings in many fields. (GB)

A carrion crow sat on an oak,
With a ling dong dilly dol ki row me,
Called for a tailor to make him a cloak,
With a ling dong dilly dol ki row me.

Hey fa lero, gil fin a gero
Hey fa lero, gil fin a gay,
Up jumped John, ringing on his bell,
With a ling dong dilly aol ki row me.

"Wife, oh wife, hand me my bow
That I may shoot yon carrion crow."

The tailor shot and he missed his mark;
Shot his old sow bang through the heart.

"Wife, of wife, bring me brandy in a spoon;
The old sow's fallen down in a swoon."

Well, the old sow died and the bells did toll;
The little pigs squealed for the old sow's soul.

(Piemontese)
Barbagal l'e andait l'era ancora neuit
Dilidin don dilidon - povra mi!
co'l bonet an sj'euj l'e monta a caval
dilidin don dilidon - povra mi!

e folli folla follero
e follero 'llero 'lle
oh bon om, Barbagal povr om
dilidin don dilidon - povra mi!

con le braje curte e co'l pinton an man
a crijava a tuta forsa: "son un rabadan"

sel cioche la neuit a fasia 'n ciadel
a crijava fort: "i son mi '1 pi bel"

Quandi che 'l Monvis al 'ha 'l capel
o ch'a fa brut o ch'a fa bel

("Straight" Italian)
Barbagal e partito che era ancora notte
Dilidin don dilidon - povera me!
con is berretto sugle occhi e montato a cavallo
dilidin don dilidon - povera me!

e folli folla follero
e follero llero lle
oh buon uomo, Barbagal pover uomo
dilidin don dilidon - povera me!

con i calzone corti econ il bottiglione in mano
urlava a tutta forza: -sono un "rabadan"

Sul campanile la notte faceva baccano
urlava forte: -sono io il piu bello!-

C)llando il Honviso ha il "cappello" {di nuvole}
o fara brutto o fara bello

(Translation}
Barbagal has gone out and it's still night
Dilidin don dilidon, oh dear me!
With his hat down on his eyes, he's climbing on a horse
Dilidin don dilidon, oh dear me!

E folli folla follero
E follero 'llero 'lle
Oh, good man, Barbagal , poor man,
Dilidin don dilidon, oh .dear me!

With only his shorts on and the great bottle in his hand
Howling with all his might: "I'm a rascal!"

On the bell tower at night, he was making an uproar
He was shouting loudly: "I'm the most . beautiful I"

lfhen the Honviso has a hat (of clouds}
It will be bad or good (the weather}
(You can't tell what the weather will be)

Carrion Crow/Barbagal is recorded on the CD Fashioned in The Clay