Knights of Spain Lyrics
Three Spanish lords come courting a daughter called Jane, are turned away and called back, and at last one walks off with the girl he chooses.
Knights of Spain
Here come three lords out of Spain,
A-courting of your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane is yet too young,
To be ruled by your flattering tongue.
So fare you well, my lady gay,
We must turn another way.
Turn back, turn back, you Spanish knight,
And scour your boots and spurs so bright.
My boots and spurs they cost you nought,
For in this land they were not bought.
Nor in this land will they be sold,
Either for silver or for gold.
So fare you well, my lady gay,
We must turn another way.
Turn back, turn back, you Spanish knight,
And choose the fairest in your sight.
I'll not take one nor two nor three,
But pray, Miss Lucy, walk with me.
Here comes your daughter safe and sound,
In her pocket a thousand pound,
On her finger a gay gold ring,
I bring your daughter home again.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/knights-of-spain/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Sung as a dialogue between the mother and the lords
- Best for ages
- 5 to 10 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Here come three lords out of Spain | Three players step forward in a line. |
| We must turn another way | The lords turn their backs and walk off. |
| Pray, Miss Lucy, walk with me | The lord holds out a hand to a chosen girl. |
What Does Knights of Spain Mean?
This old game is a conversation. A mother sits on a sofa or a row of chairs with her daughters on each side, and three suitors advance. They announce that they have come from Spain to court the daughter Jane. The mother says Jane is too young, and the lords answer that they have to go elsewhere. The mother calls them back and tells them to scour their boots and spurs, and when they say the boots cost nothing she tells them to choose the fairest in their sight.
Then one knight picks a girl by name and walks her round the room. When he returns, he brings her home with a pocketful of pounds and a gold ring on her finger.
History and Origin
William Wells Newell prints the song in Games and Songs of American Children (1884). He calls it an ancient game that was a favourite across the United States in the previous generation, and says it was known in numerous forms through England and Scotland and across Europe from France, Italy and Spain to Iceland, Finland and Moravia.
This version is the one played in New York early in the nineteenth century. In Philadelphia the game ended differently, with the girl running away and being caught.
Learning Activities
- Perform it: assign the mother, the daughters and the three lords and act out the dialogue.
- Spanish knights: make paper boots and spurs for the lords.
- Read aloud: split the class into two sides and read the lines like a conversation.
- Rewrite it: make up a modern version where visitors ask to join a game.