What is the "one for sorrow, two for joy" thing from?

Question

I know the rhyme, but where did it come from? Is it a song, poem, lore, etc?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Crow or Magpie Augry (the practice of foretelling the future based on the number of birds seen) has been around for centuries, and spawned many version of the "counting rhyme".

there are different versions:

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 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 birth,
five for rich,
six for poor,
Seven for a witch,
I can tell you no more

One crow sorrow,
Two crows mirth,
three, a wedding,
four, a birth,
five brings silver,
six takes wealth,
seven crows a secret,
More I can nae tell.

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.

Source(s):

http://www.shades-of-night.com/aviary/rh…

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

That's interesting, thank you

Answer 2

I think that one of the beautiful things about folklore is that we don't really know where it comes from, kind of like the gummy my kid was eating today - we haven't had any in the house for weeks. How's that go - one for sorrow.... Damn I better pull of the couch cushions and look for another gummy!

Answer 3

I ran across it in the play 'The Scarecrow' by Percy MacKaye. I believe it was written in the late 19th/early 20th century, but takes place in the 18th century, in Colonial America. It probably goes back a lot further, though, probably to the Middle Ages as a way of telling fortunes.

Source(s):

http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/board…

Answer 4

actually its about seing a crow but actually i feel that only when a person is mingling with people hell be happy ,if he wants to be all alone he suffers

Answer 5

It goes

One for sorrow, Two for joy
Three for a girl, Four for a boy
Five for silver, Six for gold
And seven for a secret thats never been told.

It is an old myth that says however many ravens fly over your head, thats what will happen.

Answer 6

there's an old irish children's song - and then there's the Counting Crowes song!

Source(s):

crow watcher.