The Lord Randall Ballad

The ballad tells the story of Lord Randall who went hunting and had lunch with his girl friend.
She poisoned him.
The mother finds out by asking him what happened to the dog that ate the left-overs.

http://web.lyon.edu/wolfcollection/songs/riddlelord1304.mp3



“Now, where have you been, Lord Randall, my son,
And where have you been, oh, my handsome young man?”
“I’ve been a-hunting; will you make my bed soon?
For I’m sick to the heart, and I fain would lie down.”

“What will you have for supper, Lord Randall, my son?
What will you have for your supper, oh, my handsome young man?”
“I had my supper; oh, make my bed soon,
For I’m sick at the heart, and I fain would lie down.”

“What ate ye for supper, Lord Randall, my son?
What ate ye for supper, oh, my handsome young man?”
“I had eels and fishes; oh, make my bed soon,
For I’m sick at the heart, and I fain would lie down.”

“And who cooked your supper, Lord Randall, my son,
And who cooked your supper, my handsome young man?”
“My sweetheart cooked my supper; oh, make my bed soon,
For I’m sick at the heart, and I fain would lie down.”

“What ate your leavings, Lord Randall, my son?
What ate your leavings, my handsome young man?”
“My hawks and my hounds; will you make my bed soon,
For I’m sick at the heart, and I fain would lie down.”

“What happened to them, Lord Randall, my son?
What happened to them, my handsome young man?”
“They curled up and died; will you make my bed soon,
For I’m sick to the heart, and I fain would lie down.”

“I fear ye are poisoned, Lord Randall, my son.
Oh, I fear you’re poisoned, my handsome young man.”
“I know I am poisoned; oh, make my bed soon,
For I’m sick at the heart, and I fain would lie down.”

“What leave you to your father, Lord Randall, my son?
What leave you to your father, my handsome young man?”
“My houses and lands; will you make my bed soon?
For I’m sick to the heart, and I fain would lie down.”

“What leave ye your mother, Lord Randall, my son?
What leave ye your mother, my handsome young man?”
“I leave my love and my treasure; oh, make my bed soon,
For I’m sick to the heart, and I fain would lie down.


    "Jennie and the Manhattan". The New York Times. 23 December 2007.
     Retrieved 24 February 2012.
     http://web.lyon.edu/wolfcollection/songs/riddlelord1304.html




It is possible that this ballad gave Dylan the idea of "A Hard Rain"
. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ex-m-eEKsg


"Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
 And where have you been my darling young one?
 I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
 I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways…"

However, in its enumeration of sights seen, the song echoes part of a most famous poem by
Rimbaud: Le bateau ivre: The Drunken Ship.

Rimbaud wrote it when he was 16 and sent it to Verlaine. It is a bit rough in its imagery or short-sighted, and Rimbaud became a businessman later and died very young:

 "Mais, vrai, j'ai trop pleuré ! Les Aubes sont navrantes. --  But, true, I have wept too much...."

He is mostly mentioned together with Verlaine and Baudelaire.

Here is a translation (not mine) into English http://www.mag4.net/Rimbaud/poesies/Boat.html

And here is the French original http://abardel.free.fr/petite_anthologie/le_bateau_ivre.htm