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"The Three Ravens" (Child 26, Roud (5 )) is an English folk ballad, printed in the song book ''Melismata'' compiled by Thomas Ravenscroft and published in 1611, but it is perhaps older than that. Newer versions (with different music) were recorded right up through the 19th century. Francis James Child recorded several versions in his Child Ballads (catalogued as number 26). A common derivative is called "Twa Corbies" ("Two Ravens" or "Two Crows"), and it follows a similar general story, but with a cynical twist. The ballad takes the form of three scavenger birds conversing about where and what they should eat. One tells of a newly slain knight, but they find he is guarded by his loyal hawks and hounds. Furthermore, a "fallow doe", an obvious metaphor for the knight's pregnant ("as great with young as she might go") lover or mistress (see "leman") comes to his body, kisses his wounds, bears him away, and buries him, leaving the ravens without a meal. The narrator, however, gradually departs from the ravens' point of view, ending with “God send euery gentleman/Such haukes, such hounds, and such a Leman” - the comment of the narrator on the action, rather than the ravens whose discussion he earlier describes. Alternatively, the lyrics may simply ascribe the apparent narrator's sentiments to the raven(s), which given the previous personification of the raven(s) seems just as possible. ==Text of the ballad== The lyrics to "The Three Ravens" are here transcribed using 1611 orthography. They can be sung either straight through in stanzas of four lines each, or in stanzas of two lines each repeating the first line three times depending on how long the performer would like the ballad to last. The second method appears to be the more canonical, so that is what is illustrated below. The refrains are sung in all stanzas, but they will only be shown for the first. :There were three rauens〔In printed text of the time, ''u'' and ''v'' were often used interchangeably.〕 sat on a tree, :''downe a downe, hay downe, hay downe,''〔The refrain consists of nonsense words that create a vocal musical interlude between lines of the stanza. See Puirt a beul.〕 :There were three rauens sat on a tree, :''with a downe,'' :There were three rauens sat on a tree, :They were as blacke as they might be. :''With a downe, derrie, derrie, derrie, downe, downe.'' :The one of them said to his mate, :Where shall we our breakfast take? :Downe in yonder greene field, :There lies a Knight slain under his shield, :His hounds they lie downe at his feete, :So well they can their Master keepe, :His Hawkes they flie so eagerly, :There's no fowle dare him come nie〔''Nie'': Variant of ''nigh''.〕 :Downe there comes a fallow Doe, :As great with yong as she might goe, :She lift up his bloudy head, :And kist his wounds that were so red, :She got him up upon her backe, :And carried him to earthen lake,〔''Lake'': Pit.〕 :She buried him before the prime,〔''Prime'', ''Euen-song'': see Canonical hours.〕 :She was dead her self ere euen-song time. :God send euery gentleman, :Such haukes, such hounds, and such a Leman.〔''Leman'': Sweetheart or mistress〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Three Ravens」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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