Tijdschrift voor Nederlandse Taal- en Letterkunde. Jaargang 21

[p. 186]

Nogmaals Starters Friesche Lusthof.

Boven ‘Aanneemlijke Dood’ (bl. 24, 25 der ‘Boertigheden’ in de uitg. van 1634; bl. 489, 490 in van Vlotens uitgave) staat als stemme O doe not, doe not kil me yet for I am not etc. Deze woorden zijn deel van het refrein van een gedicht dat in de Engelsche liedboeken naar zijn aanhef wordt aangeduid als When Phoebus addrest en dat door Starter onder bovengenoemden titel vertaald werd. Het Engelsche gedicht komt voor in de volgende verzamelingen: 1^o Wit and Drollery, 1656, p. 35; 2^o in ‘the Percy folio MS.’, vol. IV, p. 7 (waar de coupletten 4 en 5 ontbreken); 3^o in Merry Drollery compleat being Jovial Poems, Merry Songs, etc. collected by W.N., C.B., R.S., & J.G., Lovers of Wit, Both parts, 1662, 1670, 1691. Opnieuw onder denzelfden titel uitgegeven in 1876 (Now First Reprinted from the Final Edition, 1691. Ed. by J. Woodfall Ebsworth. Boston, mdccclxxv), alwaar ons gedicht op bl. 250 voorkomt; 4^o in de ‘Roxburghe Ballads’ ed. 1869, II 1009. De zangwijze, aangeduid als When Phoebus addrest is, met de woorden, te vinden in: Old English Popular Music by William Chappell. A new edition with a preface and notes, and the earlier examples entirely revised by H. Ellis Wooldridge, I and II. London 1898. p. 172-174. De schrijver van het gedicht is onbekend. De oudste vorm waarin wij het lied kennen is Starters vertaling. Ter vergelijking laat ik hier het oorspronkelijk volgen zooals het voorkomt in Merry Drollery.

When Phoebus had drest¹⁾ his course to the West
To take up his rest below,
And Cynthia agreed in her glittering weed
Her light in his stead to bestow:

1) Aanteekening op p. 392: ‘This is a corruption of “when Phoebus addrest his course,” etc.’

[p. 187]

 

I walking alone, attended by none,

 

I suddenly heard one cry,

 

O do not, do not kill me yet,

 

For I am not prepared to dye.

 

 

 

At length I drew near to see and to hear,

 

And straight did appear to shew,

 

The moon was so bright, I saw such a sight

 

It's fit no Wight should it know:

 

A man and a maid together were laid,

 

And ever she said, nay fie,

 

O do not, etc.

 

 

 

The youth was so tough he pull'd up her stuff,

 

And to blindman-buff he did go,

 

Though still she did lye, yet still she did cry,

 

And put him by with a no;

 

But he was so strong, and she was so young,

 

But she rested a while for to cry,

 

O do not, etc.

 

 

 

Thus striving in vain, well pleased again,

 

She vowed to remain his foe,

 

She kept such a coyl, when he gave her the foyl,

 

The greater the broyl did grow;

 

For he was prepar'd, and did not regard

 

Her words, when he heard her cry,

 

O do not, etc.

 

 

 

He said to the Maid, Sweet be not afraid,

 

Thy Physitian I will be;

 

If I light in the hole that pleaseth me best,

 

I'll give thee thy Physick free;

 

He went to it again, and hit in the Vein

 

Where all her whole grief did lye;

 

O kill me, kill me once again,

 

For I am prepared to dye.

 

 

 

At length he gave o'r and suddenly swore,

 

He 'd kill her no more that night,

 

He bid her adieu, for certain he knew

 

She wou'd tempt him to more delight:

 

But when they did part it went to her heart,

 

For at length he had taught her to cry,

 

O kill me, kill me once again.

 

For now I am prepared to dye.

[p. 188]

Nog valt op te merken dat in Percy Folio IV, p. 7, de aanvangsregel luidt: When Phebus addrest himselfe to the west. De afwijkingen die er bestaan tusschen Starters vertaling en den Engelschen tekst maken het waarschijnlijk dat er een andere, misschien oudere lezing van dezen laatste in omloop geweest is. Men vergete niet dat vele dezer liederen eerst laat werden opgeteekend of een plaats vonden in verzamelingen, zoodat er ruimschoots gelegenheid was voor het ontstaan van verschillende redacties. Zoo vond ik onlangs twee variaties op het thema van de Menniste Vryagie, die ik belangrijk genoeg acht om hier te laten volgen, vooral daar zij voorkomen in verzamelingen die in ons land moeilijk of niet te raadplegen te zijn. De eerste komt voor onder den titel ‘The way to wooe a Zealous Lady’ in Merry Drollery compleat, uitg. 1875, bl. 77-79, en op bl. 194, 195 I (Dl. I) van de zoogenaamde Rump Collection (Rump: or an exact collection Of the Choycest Poems and Songs relating to the Late Times. By the most Eminent Wits, from Anno 1639 to Anno 1661 London - 1662).

I came unto a Puritan to wooe,

And roughly did salute her with a Kiss;

She shov'd me from her when I came unto;

Brother, by yea and nay I like not this:

And as I her with amorous talk saluted,
My Articles with Scripture she confuted.

She told me, that I was too much prophane,

Ant not devout neither in speech nor gesture;

And I could not one word answer again,

Nor had not so much Grace to call her Sister;

For ever something did offend her there,
Either my broad beard, hat, or my long hair.
My Band was broad, my 'Parrel was not plain,

My Points and Girdle made the greatest show;

My sword was odious, and my Belt was vain,

My Spanish shooes was cut too broad at toe;

My Stockings light, my Garters ty'd too long,
My Gloves perfum'd, and had a scent too strong.

[p. 189]

 

I left my pure Mistris for a space,

 

And to a snip-snap Barber streight went I;

 

I cut my Hair, and did my Corps uncase

 

Of 'Parrels pride that did offend the eye;

 

My high-crown'd Hat, my little Beard also,

 

My pecked Band, my Shooes were sharp at toe.

 

 

 

Gone was my Sword, my Belt was laid aside,

 

And I transformed both in looks and speech;

 

My 'Parrel plain, my Cloak was void of Pride,

 

My little Skirts, my metamorphis'd Breech,

 

My Stockings black, my Garters were ty'd shorter,

 

My Gloves no scent; thus marcht I to her Porter.

 

 

 

The Porter spide me, and did lead me in,

 

Where his sweet Mistris reading was a Chapter:

 

Peace to this house, and all that are therein,

 

Which holy words with admiration wrapt her,

 

And ever, as I came her something nigh,

 

She, being divine, turn'd up the white o'th' eye.

 

 

 

Quoth I, dear Sister, and that lik'd her well,

 

I kist her, and did passe to some delight,

 

She, blushing, said, that long-tail'd men would tell,

 

Quoth I, I'll be as silent as the night;

 

And least the wicked now should have a sight

 

Of what we do, faith, I'll put out the light.

 

 

 

O do not swear, quoth she, but put it out,

 

Because that I would have you save your Oath,

 

In truth, you shall but kisse me, without doubt;

 

In troth, quoth I, here will we rest us both;

 

Swear you, quoth she, in troth? had you not sworn

 

I'd not have don't, but took it in foul scorn.

De tweede komt in een andere verzameling Cavalier Tunes voor: Choyce Drollery (Extra Songs & Poems in Merry Drollery, 1661 omitted from the editions of 1670, 1691, when New Songs were substituted for them), ed. by J.W. Ebsworth, Boston 1876, p. 195, 196 onder den titel:

A Puritan of late
And eke a holy Sister,

[p. 190]

 

A Catechizing sate,

 

And fain he would have kist her

 

For his Mate.

 

 

 

But she a Babe of grace,

 

A Child of reformation,

 

Thought kissing a disgrace,

 

A Limbe of prophanation

 

In that place.

 

 

 

He swore by yea and nay

 

He would have no denial,

 

The Spirit would it so,

 

She should endure a tryal

 

Ere she go.

 

 

 

Why swear you so, quoth she?

 

Indeed, my holy Brother,

 

You might have forsworn be

 

Had it been to another [,]

 

Not to me.

 

 

 

He laid her on the ground,

 

His Spirits fell a ferking,

 

Her Zeal was in a sound,

 

He edified her Merkin

 

Upside down.

 

 

 

And when their leave they took,

 

And parted were asunder,

 

My Muse did then awake,

 

And I turn'd Ballad-monger

 

For their sake.

De schijnheiligheid der Puriteinsche zusjes was een onderwerp waarover de tegenpartij niet licht uitgepraat raakte. De geestige dichter van The Character of a Mistris, beter bekend naar den aanvangsregel ‘My Mistris is a shittle-cock’ (Merry Drollerie, bl. 60) zingt:

My Mistris is a Puritan,

She will not swear an oath,

But for to lye with any man,

She is not very loath;

But pure to pure, and there's no sin,
There's nothing lost that enters in, Fa, la, la.

[p. 191]

Het is natuurlijk best mogelijk dat de door mij indertijd medegedeelde episode uit ‘How to choose a good woman from a bad’ niet is van de hand van den schrijver van genoemd tooneelstuk, doch dat zij reeds toen een populair lied was dat al of niet gewijzigd door hem met veel handigheid ter geschikter plaatse werd ingelascht.

Terloops zij hier opgemerkt dat de ‘Menniste Vryagie’ ook gezongen werd, al wordt in de ‘Lusthof’ de wijze niet aangegeven. Boven Camphuysens Klagte van Jan Jansz. Starter, Gedaen, als uyt het Graf, over syn dertel, en ontuchtig Liedboeck staat toch: Op de Wyse: Ick vrijde op een tijt een soet Menniste etc.

2.

Op bl. 194, 195 van de uitgave van 1634 en op bl. 309-311 bij van Vloten vindt men een ‘Klaegh-liedt, Over d'onrype doodt van Phyllis. Als stemme wordt aangegeven: The fairest Nymph those Valleis, or Mountaines ever bred, etc., welke later nog eenmaal voorkomt als zangwijze van de minneklacht beginnende: O doel van myn gedachten, Vyerbaken van mijn hoop (bl. 203; bl. 318). Ik laat hier het Engelsche gedicht volgen zooals het by Chappell, I. 170, 171 voorkomt:

The fairest Nimph the vallies,
Or mountaines ever bred:

The shepheard's joy,

Soe beautifull and coy,

Faire Phillida is dead.
On whom they oft have tended,
And carold o're the plaines:

And for her sake

Sweet roundelayes did make,

Admir'd of rurall swaines.

But cruell fates the graces envying

Of this blooming rose,

Nowe ready to disclose:

With a frost untimely

Nip'd this bud unkindly

And soe away her glorie goes.

[p. 192]

 

Diana was chief mourner

 

At their sad obsequies,

 

Who with her trayne,

 

Went tripping o're the plaine,

 

Singing doleful elegies.

 

Menalchas and Amintas,

 

With many shepheards moe,

 

Who did desire

 

Unto her love t'aspire,

 

In sable sad did goe.

 

Flora, the goddesse that us'd to beautifie

 

Phillis daintie bowers

 

With sweete and fragrant flowers,

 

Now her brave adorninge,

 

And her flowers mourninge,

 

Teares thereon in vaine shee showers.

 

 

 

Venus alone triumphed

 

To see this dismall day,

 

As in dispaire

 

That Phillida the faire

 

Her lawes would not obey.

 

The blinded god his arrowes

 

And shaftes in vaine had spent;

 

Her heart alas!

 

Impenetrable was,

 

Nor would to love assent.

 

At which affronts, Cytherea repining,

 

Caused death with his dart

 

To peirce her tender heart:

 

But her noble spirit

 

Doth those joyes inherit

 

Which never more shall depart.

Chappell nam dezen tekst over uit Giles Earle's Songbook. Het lied komt ook voor in de Roxburghe Ballads II p. 345 vlg. onder den titel: The Obsequy of faire Phillida: With the Stepheards and Nymphs Lamentation for her losse¹⁾, met de volgende regels als tweede couplet:

1) To a new Court tune. Volgens Chappell t.a.p. komt de wijze ook voor in ‘Urania’, Amsterdam 1663 en wordt daar aangeduid als ‘Gravesande’.

[p. 193]

 

The sheep for woe goe bleating

 

That they their goddesse misse,

 

And sable ewes,

 

By their mourning's hewes

 

Her absence cause of this.

 

The nymphs leave off their dancing,

 

Pan's pipe of joy is cleft,

 

For great's his griefe;

 

He shunneth all reliefe

 

Since she from him is reft.

 

Come, Fatall Sisters, leave your spooles,

 

Leave weaving altogether,

 

That made this flower to wither:

 

Let envy, that foule vipresse:

 

Put on a wreath of cypresse:

 

Sing sad dirges altogether.

Wat den inhoud betreft is er, zooals men zien zal, bij eenige overeenkomst ook veel, verschil. Het is vooralsnog niet uit te maken of de coupletten die bij Starter wel, doch in 't Engelsch gedicht niet voorkomen, van hemzelf zijn of ontleend aan een andere redactie.

3.

Ook Starters Daphne¹⁾ is zooals de stemme reeds doet vermoeden naar het Engelsch gevolgd. In de Roxburghe Ballads (uitg. der Ballad Society) komt op bl. 529-531 van Deel II het volgende lied voor:

When Daphne from faire Phoebus did flie

The west winde most sweetly did blow in her face:

Her silken scarfe scarce shadowed her eyes;

The god cried, ‘O pitie,’ and held her in chace:

‘Stay, nimph, stay nimph,’ cryes Apollo,

‘Tarry and turn thee; sweet nymph, stay!

Lion nor tyger doth thee follow;

Turne thy faire eyes, and looke this way.

1) Uitg. 1634, bl. 155 (in de inhoudsopgave staat 151); uitg. van Vloten, bl. 274. Vgl. Oud-Holland I, bl 109.

[p. 194]

 

O turne, O prettie sweet,

 

And let our red lips meet:

 

Pittie, O Daphne, pittie, O pitty me:

 

Pittie, O Daphne, pittie me.’

 

 

 

She gave no eare unto his cry,

 

But still did neglect him the more he did mone;

 

He still did entreat, she still did denie,

 

And earnestly prayes him to leave her alone.

 

‘Never, never,’ cries Apollo,

 

‘Unlesse to love thou do consent;

 

But still, with my voice so hollow,

 

He crie to thee till thy life be spent.

 

But if thou turne to me,

 

'Twill prove thy felicitie:

 

Pitty, O Daphne, pittie, O pitty me,

 

Pitty, O Daphne, pitty me.’

 

 

 

Away, like the Venus dove, she flies;

 

The red blood her buskins did run all adowne;

 

His plaintive love she still denies,

 

Crying, ‘Help, help, Diana, and save my renowne:

 

Wanton, wanton lust is neare me -

 

Cold and chast Diana, aid!

 

Let the earth a virgin beare me,

 

Or devoure me quick a maid.’

 

Diana heard her pray,

 

And turned her to a bay:

 

Pittie etc.

 

 

 

Amazèd stood Apollo then,

 

When he beheld Daphne turned as she desired;

 

Accurst I am, above gods and men;

 

With griefe and laments my sences are tired.

 

Farewell, false Daphne, most unkinde,

 

My love is buried in thy grave;

 

Long have I sought love, yet love could not finde,

 

Therefore shall this be thy epitaph:

 

This tree doth Daphne cover,

 

That never pitied lover!

 

Farewell, false Daphne, that would not pittie me,

 

Though not my love, yet art thou my tree.

[p. 195]

De woorden zijn van Thomas Deloney (1543-1600) en komen voor in zijn Garland of Delight uitg. 1681. Ook in The Royal Garden of Love and Delight, uitg. 1674. De zangwijze komt nog voor in de ‘Nederlandtsche Gedenck-clanck’ van Valerius (1626) als Prins Dafne (bl. 212). Ook hier weer zijn de afwijkingen vele: de zedenles in 't laatste couplet van Starter ontbreekt in den Engelschen tekst geheel.

Bij de tegenwoordige belangstelling in onze oude zangwijzen zal de toekomstige uitgever van Starter wel doen de muziek der oude uitgaven af te drukken!

Ten slotte wensch ik nog in herinnering te brengen dat de stemme boven: ‘S.V.B. Claegh-liedt, over de Onrijpe Dood van de Recht-Edele Juffrou M.V.B. sijne Nieus-getroude (van Vloten 60-62; uitg. 1634, bl. 40, 41); Twas a youthful knight which loved a galjant Lady’ de eerste regel is van de ballade ‘Constance of Cleveland: to the tune of Crimson Velvet.’ (Roxburghe Collection III, 94). Crimson Velvet wordt ook wel genoemd In the days of old naar den eersten regel. Voor verdere bijzonderheden vergelijke men Chappell I 166-168¹⁾.

Amsterdam, Mei 1902.

a.e.h. swaen.

1) Nadat ik mijn vorig artikel over Starter geschreven had bleek mij dat een van ‘Camphuysens Stichtelijcke Rymen (uitg. 1647, bl. 146) als ‘sang’ heeft ‘Essex Lamentatie. Of: Wat if a daye etc.’ Hen die belang stellen in het Engelsche lied verwijs ik naar Chappell (I 100, 101) waar het noodige wordt medegedeeld over verschillende lezingen enz.

1) De tekst is die van de Rump Songs.