Bid Adieu to Girlish Ways
Bid adieu, adieu, adieu, Bid adieu to girlish days, Happy Love is come to woo Thee and woo thy girlish ways — The zone that doth become thee fair, The snood upon thy yellow hair.
When thou hast heard his name upon The bugles of the cherubim Begin thou softly to unzone Thy girlish bosom unto him And softly to undo the snood That is the sign of maidenhood.
A "snood" is a type of headband for the hair, traditionally worn by young unmarried women of Scotland and northern England. The documented history of this word in print dates back to at least the 8th century.
James Joyce was an amateur singer and as a young man entered at least one vocal competition where it is documented that he won third place and received a bronze metal. One critic wrote, "His voice was clarion clear and though high pitched was not at all strident. His build may have been too slight for a successful tenor."
I offer a performance below of Joyce's only known song of both lyrics and music- a setting of Bid Adieu to Girlish Ways. The singer here is Kevin McDermott. I find the music antithetical to the poem, unless Joyce's music is meant to capture "loss of innocence" suggested by the words.
Love Came to Us
Love came to us in time gone by When one at twilight shyly played And one in fear was standing nigh -- - For Love at first is all afraid. We were grave lovers. Love is past That had his sweet hours many a one; Welcome to us now at the last The ways that we shall go upon.
-James Joyce
CPW
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