Gentle Gwen
(Gwenno Fwyn)

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John Renfro Davis

Information
Lyrics
The words to this Welsh tune were written by Mynyddog in 1866. The American tune Nelly Bly is a variant of this tune.

Another Welsh Gwen tune is Fair Gwen.

Gentle Gwen, O gentle Gwen
O sweep the house out clean
And bring the armchair up the way
I'd like to have a sing
Put a peat-turf on the fire
The rush-candle light the hearth
Whilst I myself will get tuned up
Th'old strings of the gentle harp

Chorus 1
Gentle Gwen, O gentle Gwen
O sing a song to me
And whilst you stir the porridge pot
A song I'll sing to thee.

Gentle Gwen, O gentle Gwen
O look at little John
He's smiling in his crib at you
As if an angle born
Place a kiss upon his cheeks
And lull him off to sleep
There's no dearer in the world
Excepting you, my sweet

Chorus 2
Gentle Gwen, O gentle Gwen
O sing a song to me
And while you're kissing little John
A song I'll sing to thee.

Gentle Gwen, O gentle Gwen
O how good it is for me
With food and fire and honest heart
A corner clean to live
All that's in the world so good
What I love best to non
To turn our backs on a troubled world
To you, my dear, I run.

Chorus 1

Gentle Gwen, O gentle Gwen
O the world it goes so fine
Turn about to work and sing
It's like this all the time
I am the king of my own house
With head and heart so keen
And just as I am king, my Gwen
So you're a little queen

Chorus 1

Related Links
From Folksongs of Britain and Ireland
See Bibliography for full information.