MYLECHARAINE.

This ballad is of considerable antiquity, and from the plaintive nature of the air is a great favourite with the Manx people. Myle Charaine was a miser who lived on the Curragh in Jurby, formerly a forest on the northern side of the island, and is said to have been the first Manxman who gave a fortune to a daughter; some of his descendants are still resident in the same locality. From the irregular nature of the ballad it would, appear that some portion had been lost ; this may have easily taken place, as it is only in comparatively recent times that it has been taken down from the lips of the reciter. The following is the translation as given by George Borrow, the author of The Bible in Spain, who, in the autumn of 1855 made a pilgrimage to Jurby in order to visit the descendants of the miser mentioned in the song.

The air of this ballad will be found in Barrow's Mona Melodies, 1820 ; the copy given with the text was sent to me by the late Mr. Cretney, music-master of Douglas, who was often called upon to sing it, to the great delight of his Manx friends.

I.

O Myle Charaine, where got you your gold?"
Lone, lone you have left me here;
"O not in the Curragh, deep under the mould,"
Lone, lone, and void of cheer.

II.

"O Myle Charaine, where got you your stock?"
Lone, lone you have left me here;
"O not in the Curragh from under a, block,"
Lone, lone, and void of cheer

III

"O Myle Charaine, where got you your goods?"
Lone, lone you have left me here;
"O not in the Curragh from under two sods,"
Lone, lone, and void of cheer.

IV.

Two pair of stockings and one pair of shoes,
Lone, lone you have left me here;
For twenty-six years old Mollie did use.
Lone, lone, and void of cheer.

V.

His stockings were white, but his sandals alack!
Lone, lone you have left me here;
Were not of one colour, one white, to'ther black,
Lone, lone, and void of cheer.

VI.

One sandal was white, and tother dark brown,
Lone, lone you have left me here;
But he'd two of one colour for kirk and for town,
Lone, lone, and void of cheer.

VII.

"O father, I really can't walk by your side,"
Lone, lone you have left me here;
"If you go to the church in those sandals of hide,"
Lone, lone, and void of cheer.

VIII.

"O daughter, my dear, if my brogues give you pain,"
Lone, lone you have left me here;
"There's that in the coffer will make you look fain,"
Lone, lone, and void of cheer.

IX.

A million of curses on Myle Charaine,
Lone, lone you have left me here;
The first who gave tocher to daughter in Man,
Lone, lone, and void of cheer.

[See Manx Ballads for another version & tune] - see next for Manx (and p103 etc seq Manx Soc vol 21; see Paton for discussion; also unpublished doc 162]