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..
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..
