Tuesday, May 12, 2026 · 天火 · tianmu.org
Ballads and Popular Song
✦ ─── ⟐ ─── ✦
Texts
Fair RosamondFair Rosamond — the tragic ballad of Rosamond Clifford, beloved of King Henry II and destroyed by Queen Eleanor's jealousy.Flodden FieldFlodden Field — a ballad commemorating the Battle of Flodden (1513) and the death of King James IV of Scotland.Helen of KirkconnellHelen of Kirkconnell — a Scottish ballad of devoted love and violent death.King Cophetua and the Beggar-MaidKing Cophetua and the Beggar-Maid — the tale of an African king who falls in love with a beggar-maid, a perennial theme of love that transcends station.King Leir and his Three DaughtersKing Leir and his Three Daughters — the ballad source of Shakespeare's King Lear, telling the old story of a king who tests his daughters' love.Phillida and CorydonPhillida and Corydon — a pastoral love dialogue in the Elizabethan tradition.The Lament of the Border WidowThe Lament of the Border Widow — a Scottish ballad of a wife whose husband is slain by the king's men.Young WatersYoung Waters — a Scottish ballad of jealousy and betrayal at court.