Lisa Lân

"Lisa Lân" (Fair Lisa) is a Welsh folk song. It is a lover's lament for Lisa, ending when the heartsick lover asks dead Lisa to guide him to where she is, so that he may be reunited with her.

Lyrics

	Literal translation	Free translation
Bûm yn dy garu lawer gwaith Do lawer awr mewn mwynder maith Bûm yn dy gusanu Lisa gêl Yr oedd dy gwmni'n well na'r mêl. Fy nghangen lân, fy nghowlad glyd Tydi yw'r lanaf yn y byd Tydi sy'n peri poen a chri A thi sy'n dwyn fy mywyd i. Pan fyddai'n rhodio gyda'r dydd Fy nghalon fach sy'n mynd yn brudd Wrth glywed sŵn yr adar mân Daw hiraeth mawr am Lisa Lân. Pan fyddai'n rhodio gyda'r hwyr Fy nghalon fach a dôdd fel cwyr Wrth glywed sŵn yr adar mân Daw hiraeth mawr am Lisa lân. Lisa, a ddoi di i'm danfon i I roi fy nghorff mewn daear ddu? Gobeithio doi di, f'annwyl ffrind Hyd lan y bedd, lle'r wyf yn mynd.^[1]	I have loved you many times Yes many an hour in prolonged tenderness I have kissed you mysterious Lisa And your company was better than honey. My pure bough, my warm embrace You are the purest in the world You cause pain and anguish And it is you who steals my life. When I stroll during the day My little heart becomes sad On hearing the sound of the little birds I feel great longing for fair Lisa. When I stroll at nightfall My little heart melts like wax On hearing the sound of the little birds I feel great longing for fair Lisa. Lisa will you escort me To place my body in black earth? I hope you will come, my dear friend To the graveside where I am going.	Full many a time I came to woo, Oft, Lisa I came a courting you; I kissed your lips when we did meet, No honey ever was so sweet My dainty branch, my only dear, No woman comes your beauty near; 'Tis you who with my passion play 'Tis you who steals my life away When I go walking through the day, My lovesick heart will turn to clay, And but to hear the small birds sing, The longing to my soul will bring When'er at eve I walk apart, Like wax will melt my lovesick heart, And but to hear the small birds sing, The longing to my soul will bring Ah, will you come to bid good-bye, When in the earth my form must lie? I hope you too will there be found, When men shall lay me in the ground.^[2]

Melody

$\header { tagline = ##f } \layout { indent = 0 \context { \Score \remove "Bar_number_engraver" } } global = { \key g \major \time 3/4 \partial 4. } sopranoVoice = \relative c' { \global \autoBeamOff d8 fis a | a (g4) e8 d d | d4. d8 fis a | c4. d8 c8. b16 | a4. \bar "" \break d,8 fis a16 a | c4. d8 c b | a4. d,8 fis a | a (g4) e8 d d | d4. \bar "|." } verse = \lyricmode { Bûm yn dy ga -- ru la -- wer gwaith Do la -- wer awr mewn mwyn -- der maith Bûm yn dy gu -- sa -- nu Li -- sa gêl Yr oedd dy gwm -- ni'n well na'r mêl. } \score { \new Staff \with { midiInstrument = "flute" } { \sopranoVoice } \addlyrics { \verse } \layout { } \midi { \tempo 4=60 } }$

Cultural references

The English composer Gustav Holst arranged this song in 1930–1931 for his collection 12 Welsh Folk Songs for mixed chorus.^[3]

The song's melody is an instrumental theme throughout Paul Haggis's 2004 film Crash and an extract of the song itself is featured at the film's climax.^[2]

References

^ "Taylor's Traditional Tunebook – Welsh Tunes", "Lisa Lân" text and MIDI melody
^ ^a ^b "Crash (score) (2005) and here, SoundtrackINFO
^ 12 Welsh Folk Songs (Holst): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project

External links

"Lisa Lân" on YouTube, performed by Siân James, 2010
"Lisa Lân" on YouTube, performed by Catrin Finch
"Lisa Lân" on YouTube, performed by Colorama
"Lisa Lân" on YouTube, performed by Alun Rhys Jones, live at Rhyl Folk Club 2018

[1] "Taylor's Traditional Tunebook – Welsh Tunes", "Lisa Lân" text and MIDI melody

[crash-2] "Crash (score) (2005) and here, SoundtrackINFO

[3] 12 Welsh Folk Songs (Holst): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project

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