The Willow Song

Anonymous (1616 or earlier)

Transcribed and edited by Christopher Baum
 The Willow Song
British Museum Anonymous (1616 or earlier)
Add. MS 15117 Transcribed and edited by Christopher Baum

œ œ. j œ œ
& &b Œ Œ œ œ œ œ Œ Œ Œ
The poor soul sat sigh - ing by a
He sighed in his sing - ing, and
The mute bird sat by him was made
Come all you for - sak - en and
j j
& b Œ Œ œ œ œ œ #œ ˙ b œœ ˙˙ œœ
n ˙˙
œœ œ œœœ œ
? #œ
b Œ Œ œ
œ œ n œ̇ œ bœ

d c a a a a a
a a a e a b a d
b c b
c b c c c
c a
a e a d

b œ. œ œ ˙. Œ Œ œ œ . œj œ œ œ ˙ Œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ
& J
sy - ca - more tree, with his hand in his
made a great moan, I am dead to all
sing wil - low, wil -low, wil -low;
tame by his moans, The true tears fell
mourn you with me, Who speaks of a
j
& b ˙ œ œœ ..
j
˙˙ œ ˙˙ œ #œ. œ œ œ #˙ nœ ˙˙ œ
˙ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ
˙˙ .. ˙˙
? ˙ œ ˙ .. ˙ ˙ bœ ˙. ˙ ˙ œ
b ˙ ˙ ˙ œ œ ˙

. .
a a a
a d a a a e f e c e d a d
b a b d b a b b b f f b b a
a a a a c e e a a
d c c
d d d a d d
(1)

(1) Time sign missing

Note values halved. Dashed barlines editorial. Where the source has been emended, the original reading is given in a footnote.
Modernized text from F.W. Sternfeld, Music in Shakespearean Tragedy (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1963), pp. 32-33.
This edition copyright © 2014 by Christopher Baum. Edition may be freely distributed, duplicated, performed and recorded.
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The Willow Song

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
&b œ
œ œ
(3)
œ.
11

œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ
J
bo - som and his head u - pon his knee,
plea - sure, my true love she is gone, O wil - low, wil - low, wil - low, wil - low; O
from him, would have melt - ed the stones,
false love, mine's fals - er than she,

& b ˙ œ ˙ œ ˙˙ œœ
˙ œ ˙ ˙ œ n ˙˙ b œœ
? ˙ œ # ˙˙ nœ ˙˙ # œœ ˙ œ
b ˙ œ œ ˙

d d d a a a a a
b b a a b d a c b
a c b a c b c c
c a c
d d d a
(2)

#œ œ œ œ nœ
œ . œj œ œ. œ œ œ ˙
16

&b œ nœ œ bœ ˙ œ
J
wil - low, wil - low, wil - low, wil - low shall be my gar - land. Sing all a green wil - low;

& b ˙ œ œœ ˙˙ #œ œœ b ˙˙˙ œ ˙.
n ˙˙ œ n ˙˙ œ ˙.
? b œ œ œ œ # œœ ˙ œ ˙ œ j
˙ ˙ ˙ œ ˙
bœ. œ œ ˙.

. .
a a a a
a a a a a e a a b d d
a b c a c b a b
c e b c c c c a
c c c c d
a a d d
(4) (5) (6)

(2) Time sign missing (3) First two notes both e' (4) Time sign missing (5) a on 3 (6) Time sign missing
4
The Willow Song

22
œ. œ bœ œ œ ˙ œ œ. œ bœ œ œ. œ œ
& b J Œ Œ J œ œ œ ˙.
J
wil - low, wil - low, wil - low; Ay me, the green wil - low must be my gar - land.

& b œ. œ œ œ ˙. ˙ œ ˙ ˙˙ œœ ˙˙ . #œ ˙.
œ. J ˙. ˙˙ œ n ˙˙ ..
j œ. j ˙ ..
? œ. j œ œ. œ œ œ j œ œœ œ j œ
b œ. œ bœ ˙. œ. œ œ ˙ œ. œ œ
˙
˙
. . . . .
d a c d d d c a a a
a a a a a d a a e a
b a b a b a c
a a a a c a c c
d c a c
d d d d c a d c a a
(7)

5
Let love no more boast in her palace nor bower, sing willow etc.
It buds, but it blasteth ere it be a flower, O willow etc.

6
Though fair and more false, I die with thy wound, sing willow etc.
Thou hast lost the truest lover that goes upon the ground, O willow etc.

7
Let nobody chide her, her scorns I approve, sing willow etc.
She was born to be false, and I to die for her love, O willow etc.

8
Take this for my farewell and latest adieu, sing willow etc.
Write this on my tomb, that in love I was true, O willow etc.

(7) a on 5