Some be mery, and some be sad

Words and Music: Traditional English

Source: Thomas Wright, Songs and Carols Now First Printed, From a Manuscript of the Fifteenth Century (London: The Percy Society, 1847), Song #73, printed verbatim from a manuscript probably owned by a professional musician, and apparently written in the latter half of the fifteenth century, circa 1471-1485.

Women, women, women, women,
A song I syng even off women.

Some be mery, and some be sad,
And some be good and some be bad;
Some be wyld, be sent Chad!
    Yet all be not so.
Fore some be lewd, and some be shrewd;
    Go shrew, wher so ever ye go.

Some be wise, and some be fond;
Some be tame, I understond;
Some wil tak bred at a mans hone;
    Yet all be not so.
For some be lewd, and some be shrewd;
    Go shrew, wher so ever ye go.

Some be angry, and cannot tell wherfor;
Some be scornyng ever more;
And some be tuskyd lyk a bore;
    Yet all be not so.
For some be lewd, and some be shrewd;
    Go shrew, wher so ever ye go.

Som wilbe dronken as a mouse;
Some be crokyd, and will hurt a lowse;
And some be fayer and good in a howse;
    Yet all be not so.
Fore some be lewd, and some be shrewd;
    Go shrew, wher so ever ye go.

Some be snowtyd lyk an ape;
Some can nother pley ne jape;
And some of them be well shape;
    Yet all be not so.
Fore some be lewd, and some be shrewd;
    Go shrew, wher so ever ye go.

Some can prate without hyere;
Some cane pley check mat with owr syere;
And some mak debate in every shyere;
    Yet all be not so.
Fore some be lewd, and some be shrewd;
    Go shrew, wher so ever ye go.

---

Note from Wright:

Another copy of this song is printed in the Reliquia Antiquae, vol. i, p. 248, from a MS. in the Library of Lambeth Palace, No. 306 (in the printed calalogue), fol. 135, written in the fifteenth century. As the variations between the two copies are considerable, I give here the Lambeth copy for the sake of comparison.

This carol requires the installation of the "Junicode" font for best display. You can obtain a copy of this font from Old English at the University of Virginia, or right click here, and then select "Save File As" to save a copy of the zipped file to your computer. See notes in F A Q.

Women, women, love of women
Make bare purs with somemen.
Some be nyse as a manne hene,
    ȝit al thei be nat so;
Some be lewde, some all be shreude,
    Go schrewes wher thei goo.

Sum be nyse, and some be fonde,
And some be tame y undirstonde,
And some cane take brede of a manys honde;
    Yit all thei be nat so, etc.

Some came part withouten hire,
And some make bate in eviri chire,
And some cheke-mate withoute sire;
    Yit all thei be nat so.
Some be lewde, and some be schreued;
    Go wher they go.

Some be browne, and some be whit,
And some be tender as accripe;
And some of theym be chiry ripe;
    Yit all thei be not soo.
Sume be lewde, etc.

Some of them be treue of love,
Benethe the gerdelle, but nat above;
And in a hode above cane chove;
    Yit all thei do nat soo.
Some be lewde, etc.

Some cane whister, and some cane crie;
Some cane flater, and some cane lye;
And some can sette the moke awrie;
    Yit all thei do nat soo.
Some be lewde, etc.

He that made this songe ful good,
Came of the northe and the sothern blode,
And somewhat kyne to Robyn Hode;
    Yit all we be nat soo.
Some be lewde, etc.

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