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Songs of the West
Songs of the West

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Songs of the West is here in full — 368 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Songs of the West
Context Illustration Reading 1/73 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
C.J.S.
[Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.
They sang so sweet; they sang so shrill, That fast her tears began to flow.
And she laid down her silken gown, Her golden rings, and all her show, All her show &c.
3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Songs of the West

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Songs of the West is here in full — 368 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/73 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
C.J.S.
Line 2
[Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.
Line 3
They sang so sweet; they sang so shrill, That fast her tears began to flow.
/ðeɪ sæŋ soʊ swiːt ðeɪ sæŋ soʊ ʃrɪl ðæt fæst hɜːr terz bɪˈɡæn tuː floʊ/
Line 4
And she laid down her silken gown, Her golden rings, and all her show, All her show &c.
/ənd ʃiː leɪd daʊn hɜːr ˈsɪlkən ɡaʊn hɜːr ˈɡoʊldən rɪŋz ənd ɔːl hɜːr ʃoʊ ɔːl hɜːr ʃoʊ siː/
Line 5
3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

flow noun US /floʊ/

the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)

From this reading “They sang so sweet; they sang so shrill, That fast her tears began to flow.”

leather noun US /ˈleðər/

an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning

From this reading “3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!”

melted adjective US /ˈmeltəd/

changed from a solid to a liquid state

From this reading “[Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.”

plucked adjective US /plʌkt/

of a stringed instrument; sounded with the fingers or a plectrum

From this reading “3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!”

rings noun US /rɪŋz/

gymnastic apparatus consisting of a pair of heavy metal circles (usually covered with leather) suspended by ropes; used for gymnastic exercises

From this reading “And she laid down her silken gown, Her golden rings, and all her show, All her show &c.”

sate verb US /seɪt/

fill to satisfaction

From this reading “[Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.”

shrill adjective US /ʃrɪl/

having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones

From this reading “They sang so sweet; they sang so shrill, That fast her tears began to flow.”

silken adjective US /ˈsɪlkən/

having a smooth, gleaming surface reflecting light

From this reading “And she laid down her silken gown, Her golden rings, and all her show, All her show &c.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

silken gown adjective + noun

In this reading “And she laid down her silken gown, Her golden rings, and all her show, All her show &c.”

bare feet adjective + noun counted as “bare foot”

In this reading “3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!”

Castle gate noun + noun

In this reading “[Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.”

in the street preposition + article + noun counted as “in … street”

In this reading “3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!”

at the Castle preposition + article + noun counted as “at … castle”

In this reading “[Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.”

stood at verb + particle

In this reading “[Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.”

All words in this reading · 65

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

14

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

3

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

A-made

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading And she laid down her silken gown, Her golden rings, and all her show, All her show &c.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading And she laid down her silken gown, Her golden rings, and all her show, All her show &c.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

bareadjectiveUS /ber/

completely unclothed

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading They sang so sweet; they sang so shrill, That fast her tears began to flow.

CnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading C.J.S.

CastlenounUS /ˈkæsəl/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

chambernounUS /ˈtʃeɪmbər/

a natural or artificial enclosed space

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading And she laid down her silken gown, Her golden rings, and all her show, All her show &c.

fastadverbUS /fæst/

quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)

From this reading They sang so sweet; they sang so shrill, That fast her tears began to flow.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

flownounUS /floʊ/

the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)

From this reading They sang so sweet; they sang so shrill, That fast her tears began to flow.

gatenounUS /ɡeɪt/

a movable barrier in a fence or wall

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

Gipsies

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

goldenadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊldən/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading And she laid down her silken gown, Her golden rings, and all her show, All her show &c.

gownnounUS /ɡaʊn/

a woman's dress, usually with a close-fitting bodice and a long flared skirt, often worn on formal occasions

From this reading And she laid down her silken gown, Her golden rings, and all her show, All her show &c.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

high-heeled

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

JnounUS /dʒeɪ/

a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second

From this reading C.J.S.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

laidadjectiveUS /leɪd/

set down according to a plan

From this reading And she laid down her silken gown, Her golden rings, and all her show, All her show &c.

lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

leathernounUS /ˈleðər/

an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

meltedadjectiveUS /ˈmeltəd/

changed from a solid to a liquid state

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

MusicnounUS /ˈmjuːzɪk/

an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

OnounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

pluckedadjectiveUS /plʌkt/

of a stringed instrument; sounded with the fingers or a plectrum

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

ringsnounUS /rɪŋz/

gymnastic apparatus consisting of a pair of heavy metal circles (usually covered with leather) suspended by ropes; used for gymnastic exercises

From this reading And she laid down her silken gown, Her golden rings, and all her show, All her show &c.

SnounUS /es/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading C.J.S.

sangnounUS /sæŋ/

North American woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the Chinese ginseng

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

sateverbUS /seɪt/

fill to satisfaction

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading And she laid down her silken gown, Her golden rings, and all her show, All her show &c.

shoesnounUS /ʃuːz/

a particular situation

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

showverbUS /ʃoʊ/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading And she laid down her silken gown, Her golden rings, and all her show, All her show &c.

shrilladjectiveUS /ʃrɪl/

having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones

From this reading They sang so sweet; they sang so shrill, That fast her tears began to flow.

silkenadjectiveUS /ˈsɪlkən/

having a smooth, gleaming surface reflecting light

From this reading And she laid down her silken gown, Her golden rings, and all her show, All her show &c.

snownounUS /snoʊ/

precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

SpanishnounUS /ˈspænɪʃ/

the Romance language spoken in most of Spain and the countries colonized by Spain

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

sweetadjectiveUS /swiːt/

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading They sang so sweet; they sang so shrill, That fast her tears began to flow.

tearsnounUS /terz/

the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)

From this reading They sang so sweet; they sang so shrill, That fast her tears began to flow.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading They sang so sweet; they sang so shrill, That fast her tears began to flow.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

ThreenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading [Music] Three Gipsies stood at the Castle gate, They sang so high, they sang so low, The lady sate in her chamber late, Her heart it melted away as snow, Away as snow, Her heart it melted away as snow.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading They sang so sweet; they sang so shrill, That fast her tears began to flow.

weathernounUS /ˈweðər/

the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading 3[14] She plucked off her high-heeled shoes, A-made of Spanish leather, O. She would in the street; with her bare, bare feet; All out in the wind and weather, O. Weather, O!

Chapter 4 of Songs of the West by S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould holds 368 sentences, grouped into 74 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 4 of Songs of the West contain?

Chapter 4 holds 368 sentences of Songs of the West, unabridged, divided into 74 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Songs of the West by S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 368 sentences, grouped into 74 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 4 of Songs of the West?

Work through the 74 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 74 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Songs of the West

Common questions about reading Songs of the West by S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Songs of the West?

Yes. All 3914 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56625 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Songs of the West is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #56625, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Songs of the West take to read?

About 326 minutes of reading across 783 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Songs of the West section by section

How to work through Songs of the West section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of Songs of the West to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Songs of the West

Words and structures a reader meets early in Songs of the West, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Baring-gould
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Songs of the West; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fleetwood
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Songs of the West; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sheppard
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Songs of the West; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bussell
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Songs of the West; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.