Bonny May
June Tabor Lyrics

Bonny May, a shepherding has gone
A beautiful girl named May was out tending to her sheep

To call the sheep to the fold
She was calling her sheep to come back into their enclosure

And as she sang, her bonny voice it rang
She was singing a lovely tune

Right over the tops of the downs, downs,
Her voice echoed across the hills

There came a troop of gentlemen
A group of well-dressed men rode by on their horses

As they were riding by
They were simply passing through

And one of them has lighted down
One of the men got off his horse

And he's asked of her the way, way,
He asked May for directions

"Ride on, ride on, you rank riders,
May told them to keep going

Your steeds are stout and strong,
She complimented their sturdy horses

For it's out of the fold I will not go
May did not want to leave the enclosure

For fear you do me wrong, wrong,
She was afraid they might hurt her

Now he's taken her by the middle jimp
One man grabbed her by the waist

And by the green gown sleeve,
The same man also pulled her by her sleeve

And there he's had his will of her
He forced himself on her

And he's asked of her no leave, leave,
He did not ask for her permission

Now he's mounted on his berry brown steed,
The man got back on his horse

He soon o'erta'en his men
He quickly caught up with the rest of the group

And one and all cried out to him,
The other men asked him what took so long

"Oh, master, you tarried long, long,
They wanted to know why he was late

Oh, I've ridden East and I've ridden West,
The man explained that he had been exploring

And I've ridden o'er the downs,
He had gone over the hills

But the bonniest lass that ever I saw
He had encountered May and thought she was the prettiest woman he'd ever seen

She was calling her sheep to the fold, fold."
May was still singing while calling her sheep

She's taken the milk pail on her head
May carried a bucket of milk on her head

And she's gone lingering home.
She took her time walking home

And all her father said to her
When May got home, her father asked her

Was; "Daughter, you tarried long, long,
He asked why she took so long

Oh, daughter, you tarried long."
He was concerned about how long she stayed out

"Oh, woe be to your shepherd, father,
May blamed the shepherd for the fox's intrusion

He takes no care of the sheep,
She claimed the shepherd was neglectful

For he's builded the fold at the back of the down
May thought the location of the fold made it easier for predators to attack

And the fox has frightened me, me,
She claimed she was scared by a fox

"Oh, there came a fox to the fold door
May was still upset about the fox

With twinkling eye so bold,
The fox was confident and cunning

And ere he'd taken the lamb that he did
The fox managed to take one lamb

I'd rather he'd taken them all, all."
May would have preferred if the fox had taken all of the lambs instead of just one

Now twenty weeks were gone and past,
More than 5 months had passed since May was assaulted

Twenty weeks and three,
She was counting the weeks

The lassie began to fret and to frown
May became anxious and unhappy

And to long for the twinkling eye, bright eye,
She missed the man who had raped her

And to long for the twinkling eye.
She missed him so much that she repeated herself

Now it fell on a day, on a bonny summer's day
One day, during a beautiful summer, May went out alone

That she walked out alone.
She took a stroll by herself

That self-same troop of gentlemen
The same group of men came riding by

Come a-riding over the down, down,
They were once again riding over the hills

"Who got the babe with thee, bonny May,
The man who had raped her asked about the baby she was carrying

Who got the babe in thy arms?
He didn't believe that the baby belonged to May's husband

For shame, she blushed, and ay, she said,
May felt ashamed and admitted that the child was not her husband's

Was "I've a good man of my own, own."
She claimed that she had been faithful to her husband ever since the rape took place

"You lie, you lie, you bonny, bonny May,
The man didn't believe her and accused her of lying

So loud I hear you lie.
He was certain that she was not being truthful

Remember the misty murky night
He reminded May of the night he had raped her

I lay in the fold with thee, thee,
He told her that they had been together intimately

Now he's mounted off his berry brown steed,
The man got off his horse again

He's sat the fair May on.
He took May with him

"Go call out your kye, father, yourself,
The man ordered May's father to go retrieve the cows himself

She'll ne'er call them again, again,
He was taking May away forever

She'll ne'er call them again."
He repeated himself for emphasis

Oh, he's Lord of twenty plough of land,
The rapist was a wealthy landowner

Twenty plough and three,
He owned a lot of land

And he's taken away the bonniest lass
He had not only raped May, but he was also taking her away from her family and husband

In all the South country, country,
May was widely considered the most beautiful woman in the region