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Title
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It's my delight of a shiny night
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Singer
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Bradshaw, William
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Notes
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Note 1
Williams, Alfred: Ms / WGS / FSUT: 'This once was very popular. It is to be met with in most collections of folk songs. I had known a part of it from childhood, and had heard it spoken of in many places, but I was a long time in finding one who really included it in his list of 'live' songs. This I did at last, however, in the person of William Bradshaw, Bibury, Gloucestershire.'
Note 2
In Verse 1 Line 2 the original text read:
I served my master truly for almost seven year,
In Verse 3 the original text read:
As me and my companions were setting four or five,
And taking of them up again we took the hare alive,
We popped her in the bag my boys and through the wood did steer,
For it's my delight of a shiny night in the season of the year.
In Verse 4 the original text read:
We [threw] him over out shoulders and wandered through the town,
Called into a neighbouring alehouse and sold her for a crown;
We sold him for a crown, my boys, but I [shall] not tell you where,
For it's my delight of a shiny night in the season of the year.
In Verse 5 the original text read:
Well! here's success to poaching, for I do not think it fair.
Bad luck to every gamekeeper that would not sell his deer!
Good luck to every [gentleman] that wants to buy a hare!
For it's my delight of a shiny night in the season of the year.
The words in brackets are indecipherable on the original and are taken from other versions of the verses.
Transcribed and edited by Chris Wildridge, 2010.
