34 The Sprig of Thyme

Back to Cecil J. Sharp (1916) ''One Hundred English Folk Songs''

Tune Analysis: Plagal. In his Note Sharp designates this tune as Aeolian. More precisely, it is either A Aeolian or A Dorian. It is Hexatonic with no F (6th). If the Fs are presumed to be natural the tune is indeed A Aeolian; but if they are presumed to be sharpened the tune is A Dorian.

Sheet Music (1916) Media:34SprThy_1916_Sheet_Music.pdf

Cecil Sharp's Note 34 (1916)

MIDI Sequence Media:34SprThy.mid

PDF Media:34SprThy.pdf

Music XML File:34SprThy.xml

ABC Code:

X:34
T:34 The Sprig of Thyme
P:Collected by Cecil J. Sharp
C:From 'One Hundred English Folk Songs' (1916)
%%scale 0.83
%%pagewidth 21.00cm
%%leftmargin 1.00cm
%%rightmargin 1.00cm
L:1/16
Z:Transcribed by Lewis Jones
M:4/4
I:linebreak $
Q:1/4=100
K:Aaeo
V:
V:1

A4 | D4 D3 C D4 A3 G | A12 (A2>B2) | (c2>d2) e3 d (B2>d2) c3 B |$ A12 A4 | %5

w: O|once I had time of my|own, and *|in * my own gard\- * en it|grew. I|

c3 e d3 c (B2>d2) c3 B | A4 A3 A E4 A4 | E4 E3 E D4 D3 D |$ c6 A2 G4 (3(A2B2c2) | %9

w: used to know the place * where my|thyme it did grow, But|now it is cov- er'd with|rue, with rue, But * *|

E4 D3 C D4 A3 G | A8 z4 |] %11

w: now it is cov- er'd with|rue.|
W:
W:
W:1. Once I had thyme of my own,
W:And in my own garden it grew;
W:I used to know the place where my thyme it did grow,
W:But now it is cover'd with rue, with rue,
W:But now it is cover'd with rue.
W:
W: 2 The rue it is a flourishing thing,
W:It flourishes by night and by day;
W:So beware of a young man's flattering tongue,
W:He will steal your thyme away, away,
W:He will steal your thyme away.
W:
W:3 I sowed my garden full of seeds;
W:But the small birds they carried them away
W:In April, May, and in June likewise,
W:When the small birds sing all day, all day,
W:When the small birds sing all day.
W:
W:4 In June there was a red-a-rosy bud,
W:And that seem'd the flower for me;
W:And often times I snatch-ed at the red-a-rosy bud,
W:Till I gain-ed the willow, willow tree,
W:Till I gain-ed the willow tree.
W:
W:5 O the willow, willow tree it will twist,
W:And the willow, willow tree it will twine;
W:And so it was that young and false-hearted man
W:When he gain-ed this heart of mine, of mine,
W:When he gain-ed this heart of mine.
W:
W:6 O thyme it is a precious, precious thing
W:On the road that the sun shines upon;
W:But thyme it is a thing that will bring you to an end,
W:And that's how my time has gone, has gone,
W:And that's how my time has gone.
W: