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PREFACE A full account of the words and music of Basque folksongs and of t,he manner of their singing is given in Chapters 7 and 8 of my "Book of the Basques" (Macmillan). The six songs here printed have been selected from about two hundred that I have collected in the last ten years. They have been chosen partly as examples of the oldest Basque tunes an:i partly as being representative of the different provinces and of the different subjects which the Basque poet sings. They should be suog freely, with more regard to the phrasing than to the bar-line and with as much attention to th8 lilt of the words as to the rhythm of the music. The pronunciation of Basque offers no serious difficulties. Leaving aside dialectal variations the following rules will be found sufficient. Vowels should be pronounced as in Spanish or Italian. There are no diphthongs. The ii of the Souletin dialect is pronounced like a French u as in "lune." Consonants are prononnced as in English with the following exceptions :-- ch is pronounced . sh g IS always pronounced hard IS pronounced . y fi ny s sh z s The songs were- noted from the following sources :- 1. A BISCAYAN LULLABY. From the singing of Dominique Sanesteben of Uztaritz, who Iearnt it at Bilbao (Vizcaya). 2. A LOVE SONG. From the singing of Pierre Constantin Arbeltch of Sainte-Engrace (Soule). 8. BETTIRI'S HARE. A satirical song half in Basque and half in Ft·ench taken from the singing of Virginie Suhas of Ainhoa (Labourd) . 4. SHEPHERD'S SONG. From the singing of Pierre Constantin Arbeltch of Sainte-Engrace (Soule). This variant of the tune was given to me by M. Lebout of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. 5. A SERENADE. From the singing of Marie Etcheverry of Ezteren9uby (Basse-Navarre). 6. THE SERMON. A narrative song taken from the singing of Mart,in Larramendy of Saint-Michel (Basse-Navarre) who learnt it in the Baztan Valley (Spanish Navarre). RODNEY GALLOP.