Catches, canons and drinking songs

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Song: Young Colin, cleaving of a beam, at ev’ry...

by Henry Purcell . A Catch for Three voices , in C major

Text:

Young Colin, cleaving of a beam, at ev’ry thumping blow
cried, “Hem!” and told his wife
who the cause would know,
that “Hem!” made the wedge much farther go,
plump Joan when at night to bed they came,
and both were playing at the same,
cried, “Hem! Prithee, Colin do,
if ever thou lov’st me dear, ‘Hem!’ now,”
He laughing answered, “No,
some work will split with half a blow,
beside, now I bore,
I ‘Hem!’ when I cleve, but now I bore.”

This song in sources:

UofG Library ASC O.c.23

Images:

Edition:

Version 8e32e8d8d4ff87611fd1ef7b6f028a335f89012d (2021-10-22T17:00:34+01:00)