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László Fehér

[ Roud - ; trad. Hungarian]

Fehér László lovat lopott (László Fehér stole a horse”) is a Hungarian folk song which Béla Bartók used in his adaptions of Magyar népdalok (Hungarian Folksongs) for voice and piano in c.1904-1905. The story is similar to The Maid Freed From the Gallows (Roud 144; Child 95; G/D 2:248). A.L. Lloyd translated it into English. Several people reported at the Mudcat Café that they heard him singing it but there seems to be no recording by him. It was recorded by several other musicians, though. The telltale sign of his translation seems to be the “misty mountains” in the first verse.

Judy Collins sang Anathea in 1963 on her Elektra album 3 where it is credited as “words by Neil Roth, music by Lydia Wood”. She also sang it in 1994 on her Vanguard album Live at Newport where it is credited as “trad. arr. Judy Collins”.

Bob Dylan sang his version of this story as Seven Curses live in New York City in 1963.

Toni Arthur, accompanied by Dave Arthur, sang Lazlo Feher in 1970 on their Trailer single Lazlo Feher. This track was also included in the same year on the Trailer anthology The Folk Trailer. They noted in their 1970 songbook:

Traditional. Tune arranged and words collated by Dave and Toni Arthur. Words reprinted by kind permission of A.L. Lloyd. Tune © 1970 Galliard Ltd.

Folkal Point sang Anathea in 1972 on their eponymous album Folkal Point.

Tony Capstick sang Laszlo Faher in 1974 on his Rubber album Punch & Judy Man.

Derroll Adams sang Anna Feher in 1977 on his album Along the Way.

Lyrics

Judy Collins sings Anathea

László Fehér stole a stallion,
Stole him from the misty mountain.
And they chased him and they caught him,
And in iron chains they bound him.

Word was brought to Anathea
That her brother was in prison.
“Bring me gold and six fine horses,
I will buy my brother’s freedom.”

“Judge, oh, judge, please spare my brother,
I will give you gold and silver.”
“I don’t want your gold and silver,
All I want are your sweet favours.”

“Anathea, oh, my sister,
Are you mad with grief and sorrow?
He will rob you of your flower,
And he’ll hang me from the gallows.”

Anathea did not heed him,
Straightway to the judge went running.
In his golden bed at midnight,
There she heard the gallows groaning.

“Cursed be that judge so cruel,
Thirteen years may he lie bleeding.
Thirteen doctors cannot cure him,
Thirteen shelves of drugs can’t heal him.”

“Anathea, Anathea,
Don’t go out into the forest.
There among the green pines standing,
You will find your brother hanging.”

Bob Dylan sings Seven Curses

Old Reilly stole a stallion
But they caught him and they brought him back
And they laid him down on the jailhouse ground
With an iron chain around his neck.

Old Reilly’s daughter got a message
That her father was goin’ to hang.
She rode by night and came by morning
With gold and silver in her hand.

When the judge he saw Reilly’s daughter
His old eyes deepened in his head,
Sayin’, “Gold will never free your father,
The price, my dear, is you instead.”

“Oh I’m as good as dead,” cried Reilly,
“It’s only you that he does crave
And my skin will surely crawl if he touches you at all.
Get on your horse and ride away.”

“Oh father you will surely die
If I don’t take the chance to try
And pay the price and not take your advice.
For that reason I will have to stay.”

The gallows shadows shook the evening,
In the night a hound dog bayed,
In the night the grounds were groanin’,
In the night the price was paid.

The next mornin’ she had awoken
To know that the judge had never spoken.
She saw that hangin’ branch a-bendin’,
She saw her father’s body broken.

These be seven curses on a judge so cruel:
That one doctor will not save him,
That two healers will not heal him,
That three eyes will not see him.

That four ears will not hear him,
That five walls will not hide him,
That six diggers will not bury him
And that seven deaths shall never kill him.

Toni Arthur sings Lazlo Feher

László Fehér stole a stallion,
Stole him on the misty mountain.
And they chased him and they caught him,
And in iron chains they bound him.

Word was brought to Anna Fehér
That her brother was in prison.
“Bring me gold and six white horses,
I will buy my brother’s freedom.”

“Judge, oh, judge, please spare my brother,
I will give you gold and silver.”
“I don’t want your gold and silver,
All I want is your sweet favours.”

“Anna Fehér, oh, my sister,
Are you mad with grief and sorrow?
He will rob you of your flower,
And he’ll hang me from the gallows.”

Anna Fehér did not heed him,
Straightway to the judge went running.
In his golden bed at midnight,
There she heard the gallows groaning.

“Anna Fehér, Anna Fehér,
Don’t go out into the forest.
There among the pine trees growing
You will find your brother hanging.”

“Cursed be that judge so cruel,
Thirteen years may he lie bleeding.
Thirteen doctors cannot cure him,
Thirteen shelves of drugs can’t heal him.”

László Fehér stole a stallion,
Stole him on the misty mountain.
And they chased him and they caught him,
And hung him from the gallows.