Irish/Scottish/Celtic Folk - The Snows They Melt The Soonest

The snows they melt the soonest

when the wind begins to sing

And the corn it ripens faster

when the frost is settling in

And when a woman tells me that

my face she’ll soon forget

Before we part I’ll wage a croon1

she’s fain to follow it yet

The snows they melt the soonest

when the winds begin to sing

And the swallow skims

without a thought as long as it is spring

But when spring goes and winter blows,

my lassie you’ll be fain,2

For all your pride to follow me

across the stormy main 3

The snows they melt the soonest

when the winds begin to sing

And the bee that flew when summer shone,

in winter cannot sting.

I’ve seen a woman’s anger

melt between the night and morn

So it’s surely not a harder thing

to tame a woman’s scorn

Oh, never say me farewell here

no farewell I’ll receive4

for you shall take (set) me to the stile,

I’ll kiss and take your leave

“I’ll stay until the curlew 5 calls

and the martlet takes his wing

For the snows they melt the soonest

when the winds begin to sing”

1. nella versione degli Horslips “I want to croon” e nella versione di Anne Briggs: “I’d bet a crown”. Nei Pentangle “I’ll wage a corn” (scommetterò un chicco di grano) in verità “crun, croon o croun” = corona, vecchia moneta che valeva 5 scellini, una somma principesca in passato 2. my loss and you’ll be fain (versione Horslips) 3. “raging main” (versione Dick Gaughan) 4. or “So whoever says to me farewell here, no farewell I receive” 5. or moorcock /woodcock