Fair Sally loved a bonny seaman - Greene, Maurice

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"From "Amaryllis", "a collection of "such songs as are most esteemed for composition and delicacy and sung at the Publick Theatres or Gardens". A song first appearing in Greene's collection, "The Chaplet", 1738."

⌛ Period → Renaissance ◈ Genre → Art songs ♬ Voicing → solo high ¶ Language → English

Parts 1

Instruments Basso continuo

Pages 2

CPDL # 68695

Editor Christopher Shaw

Posted 2022-04-02

License Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike

¶Lyrics / Text

Fair Sally loved a bonny seaman, With tears she sent him out to roam; Young Thomas loved no other woman, But left his heart with her at home. She viewed the sea from off the hill And, as she turn'd the spinning-wheel, Sang of her bonny seaman. The winds blew loud and she grew paler, To see the weather-cock turn round; When lo! she spied her bonny sailor Come singing o'er the fallow ground. With nimble haste he leapt the stile, And Sally met him with a smile, And hugg'd her bonny sailor. Fast round the waist he took his Sally, But first around his mouth wip'd he; Like home-bred swain he could not dally, But kiss'd and press'd her with a glee: "Thro' winds and waves and lashing rain" cried he, "thy Tom's return'd again, And brings a heart for Sally". "Welcome!" cried she, "my constant Thomas, Tho' out of sight, ne'er out of mind; Tho' seas our hearts have parted from us, Yet still my thoughts were left behind; So much my thoughts took Tommy's part, That time nor absence from my heart Could drive my constant Thomas". "This knife, the gift of lovely Sally, I still have kept for thy dear sake; A thousand times in am'rous folly Thy name has carv'd upon the deck: Again the happy pledge returns, To tell how truly Thomas burns; How true he burns for Sally". "This thimble didst thou give to Sally; When this I see I think of you. Then why does Tom stand shilly-shally, While yonder steeple's in our view?" Tom, never to occasion blind, Now took her in the coming mind, And went to church with Sally.