oh and it's based VERY loosely on an old folk song, I don't know about any poem, and no idea who it's by.. but the verse about a maid milking a bull is taken from the old folk song called "Martin Said to His Man" or "Fie Man Fie", which is supposed to be a drinking song. that's the only part that's borrowed.
It goes like: "I saw a maid milk a bull, fie, man, fie
I saw a maid milk a bull, who's the fool now?
I saw a maid milk a bull, at every pull a bucketful
Thou hast well drunken, man, who's the fool now?"
oh and it's based VERY loosely on an old folk song, I don't know about any poem, and no idea who it's by.. but the verse about a maid milking a bull is taken from the old folk song called "Martin Said to His Man" or "Fie Man Fie", which is supposed to be a drinking song. that's the only part that's borrowed. It goes like: "I saw a maid milk a bull, fie, man, fie I saw a maid milk a bull, who's the fool now? I saw a maid milk a bull, at every pull a bucketful Thou hast well drunken, man, who's the fool now?"