Finding of Moses
Mysterious Beginnings: The Biblical Twist in 'Finding of Moses'
Lyrics
On Egypt's land, contagious to the Nile
Setting the scene in Egypt, near the Nile.
Auld Pharaoh's daughter
Reference to the daughter of Pharaoh.
She went to bathe in style
Pharaoh's daughter goes for a stylish bath.
She took her dip and come unto the land
After the bath, she comes ashore.
And for to dry her royal pelt
Drying herself on the beach.
She ran along the strand
She runs along the strand (shore).
And a bulrush tripped her whereupon she saw
Pharaoh's daughter stumbles upon a bulrush.
A lovely smiling babby all in a wad of straw
Discovers a baby in a wad of straw.
She took the babby up and
She picks up the baby.
Says she in accents mild
Pharaoh's daughter asks about the baby's owner gently.
"Oh tar-an-a-gers, girls now
Expressing surprise or shock ("tar-an-a-gers" is a colloquial expression).
Which one of yis owns the child?"
Asking the girls who the baby belongs to.
And then little Moses, he gave a little grin
Little Moses smiles at the situation.
For she and the Pharaoh were
Pharaoh and his daughter are naked (in their skin).
Standing in their skin
Describing the nakedness of Pharaoh and his daughter.
"Begobben" says the Pharaoh
Pharaoh comments on someone being rude.
"it was somebody very rude
Referring to the baby left in the river.
That left a little baby in
Pharaoh suggests the act was impolite.
The river in his nude"
Describing the baby's state (nude) when found.
She took him to her ol'
Pharaoh's daughter brings Moses to her husband.
Lad sitting on the throne
Referring to Pharaoh as her "ol' lad" (old man).
"Oh da" says she
Pharaoh's daughter asks if they can adopt the boy.
"Would you give the boy a home?"
She addresses Pharaoh as "da" (dad).
"Begobben" says the Pharaoh
Pharaoh agrees to adopt the baby.
"I've often took in worse
Pharaoh reflects on having dealt with worse situations.
Go nip down to the market square
Orders to find a nurse for the child in the market.
And get the child a nurse"
Pharaoh instructs his wife to get a nurse for Moses.
When she went to the market square, now
Pharaoh's daughter goes to the market square.
The only one she'd find
She only finds the person who left the baby behind.
Now was the little young one
The woman who abandoned Moses is the only one there.
That left the child behind
The woman pretends not to know Moses.
And she was letting on to be a stranger
The woman poses as a stranger named Moryah.
Moryah and never letting on that she
The woman pretends not to be the baby's mother.
Was the babby's ma
Describing the woman's deception about being the baby's mother.
And so little Moses, he got his mammy back
Moses is reunited with his real mother.
Such a co-in-ci-dence, though
Commenting on the coincidence of the situation.
Is a nut to crack
Describing the complexity of the situation as a challenging problem.
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