• I. Home
  • II. About
  • III. Who We Are
  • IV. Services
  • V. Enrichment
  • VI. Testimonials
  • VII. Reflections
  • VIII. Inspirations
  • IX. Contact
  • I. Home
  • II. About
  • III. Who We Are
  • IV. Services
  • V. Enrichment
  • VI. Testimonials
  • VII. Reflections
  • VIII. Inspirations
  • IX. Contact
DesBois Tutoring & Enrichment
  • I. Home
  • II. About
  • III. Who We Are
  • IV. Services
  • V. Enrichment
  • VI. Testimonials
  • VII. Reflections
  • VIII. Inspirations
  • IX. Contact

Young Strongbow

Lyrics

(Words in parentheses are alternate lyrics suggested by other extant versions of the song.)

To Dartmouth’s scientific hall
__In olden times there came
A sprightly Red Boy from the woods,
__And Strongbow was his name.

Much had he heard of Dartmouth’s skill,
__The White Boy’s pride and boast:
His ardent wish, this skill to gain
__His honest mind and ghost. (engrossed?)

He soon did learn the White Boy’s tongue
__To read and write and speak,
And soon by diligence was learned
__In Latin, Low, and Greek. (Latin law? Latin lore?)
In Liberal Arts and Sciences
__With White Boy he kept pace,
And few there were that ridiculed
__The color of his face.
But there was one New England youth--
__Proud, overbearing, rude--
Who oft times on poor Strongbow’s peace
__Did wantingly intrude. (wantonly?)
Once, when o’er sailed thy threatening face, (Once, when assailed with treatment base?)
__The Red Boy simply said,
“The time may yet arrive when you
__Will kneel and ask my aid.”
When steady years had rolled around
__On the rapid wheels of time,
The Red Boy to his nation went,
__To a far and distant clime.
The White Boy to his parents went,
__Out near the Atlantic shore,
And little thought that he would see
__His tawny classmate more.
And when to sturdy manhood grown
__A captain he became,
When the loud trump of war was sound,
__Then kindled was his fame. (And Kendall was in fame?)
Great Britain’s proud and sailors came
__Against the Freemen’s rights,
Engaged the Red Men on their side
__And armed them for the fight.
A battle long and fierce was fought
__Between the Whites and Reds,
And many a hero was laid low
__Upon a gory bed.
The Red Men gained a victory;
__The captain a prisoner seized,
With many a torturing threat
__and impartiality.
A council long they did convene,
__Their prisoner’s case to try,
And to atone for warriors slain,
__They sentenced him to die.
Then quickly to a sturdy tree
__With torturing cords they bound,
And pitchy faggots around him placed,
__And firebrands gleamed around.
When Death announced the captain’s doom,
__The braves around him sang,
When suddenly stepped a chieftain forth
__to the center of the ring.
“Do you know me, kind sir?” said he.
__“View carefully this face.”
“I know you not,” was the reply,
__“But I kneel and ask your aid.”
“You knew me once,” the chief rejoined,
__“And you shall know again:
I am Strongbow, whom cruelly
__You so oft inflicted pain.”
“Strongbow, brave chieftain, I confess
__With shame, you speak the truth.
But, ah! you know, it was the fault
__Of an unreflected youth.”
“Captain, you know those Indians well:
__They never can forget
A favor or an injury
__When friends or foes are met.”
“Strongbow, brave chieftain, I’ll submit--
__But for my loving wife,
My parents, and my children dear,
__I humbly beg for life.”
“Although they never can forget,
__Those Indians can forgive.
The White Man set at liberty:
__Brave comrades, let him live.”
.Transcribed by Jack DesBois from audio item no. D33A09-10 of the Helen Hartness Flanders Ballad Collection: Edwin Larkin of Chelsea, Vt., singing “Young Strongbow,” recorded by Helen Flanders on July 21, 1942..

Back to "Selected Songs from the Flanders Ballad Collection"
Back to "V is the Valley"
Picture
home
about
who we are
services
enrichment
testimonials
reflections
inspirations
contact

Proudly powered by Weebly