1 for sorrow 2 for joy magpie chant

[shianne]

Not sure if this is a song or poetry, but my hubby and I disagree on the numbers that relate to which virtue. We disagree after 1 for sorrow, 2 for joy , 3 for a girl 4 for a boy ,,,, can any one enlighten us, thanks in anticipation for answering me

[Ethel]

You can agree to disagree - there are many many different versions of this very old song. Who knows if there is a 'correct' one? Here is a sample

One for sorrow,
two for joy,
three for a girl,
for for a boy,
five for silver,
six for gold,
seven for a secret,
never to be told,
eight for a wish,
nine for a kiss,
ten for a time
of joyous bliss.


One for sorrow, two for mirth,
Three for a wedding, four for a birth,
Five for silver, six for gold,
Seven for a secret not to be told.
Eight for heaven, nine for hell,
And ten for the devil's own sel'.

One for sadness, two for mirth;
Three for marriage, four for birth;
Five for laughing, six for crying:
Seven for sickness, eight for dying;
Nine for silver, ten for gold;
Eleven a secret that will never be told

[ericthemini]

This is probable the best known version from the 70's TV program Magpie.
Spencer Davis Group's last stab at fame came about unusually when the theme song for ITV's hit childrens TV show Magpie turned out to have been recorded by the late 60s line-up of the Spencer Davis Group under a pseudonym "The Murgatroyd Band".

[rexii]

i think it is a poem not a song cuz if it were a song then it would of been longer! =)

[Tremendous]

ONE FOR SORROW
Dorothy Squires


One for sorrow, two for joy
Three for a letter and four for a boy
Five for silver, six for gold
Seven for a secret that�s never been told

Do you remember, as a child, looking up into the sky
Counting blackbirds on the wing and the song we used to sing?





http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/o/onef orsorrow.shtml