Lemeney (Lemeday, Lemody, Lemminy)

DESCRIPTION: "As I was a-walking one fine summer's morning," the singer hears the birds. "Arise, my dear... Arise, and get your humble posies." He will pick flowers for his love (Lemeney). He declares her beauty, and regrets that her parents have taken her away
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1905 (Baring-Gould/Sheppard-SongsOfTheWest2ndEd)
KEYWORDS: love courting flowers separation clothes music
FOUND IN: Britain(England(South,West))
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Gardham-EarliestVersions, "SWEET LEMMINY"
Copper-ASongForEverySeason, pp. 260-261, "Sweet Lemeney" (1 text, 1 tune)
Gundry-CanowKernow-SongsDancesFromCornwall, pp. 31-32, "Limadie" (1 text plus Cornish translation, 1 tune)
Karpeles-TheCrystalSpring 63, "Limady" (1 text, 1 tune)
Baring-Gould/Sheppard-SongsOfTheWest2ndEd, #89, "The Midsummer Carol" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #193
NOTES [76 words]: The description is based on the Copper-ASongForEverySeasons text, which seems confused. But the whole song family seems messed up, as witness all the variations on the girl's name, none of which seem at all probable. I wonder if the original wasn't French, le May, or some such. Or a jumble of "Milady"?
Baring-Gould/Sheppard-SongsOfTheWest2ndEd's text is older, and seems more orderly -- but how much of that is the informant and how much Baring-Gould? - RBW
Last updated in version 6.8
File: CopSe260

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