Forms: 4–6 balade, 5 balaade, -adde, 6 balat(e, -ette, ballat, -att, -ed, -ete, -ette, -ytte, 6–7 ballet, ballade, 7– (Sc.) ballant, 6– ballad. (ME. balade, a. OF. balade (mod. ballade) dancing-song, ad. Pr. balada dance, dancing-song, f. balar:—late L. ballāre to dance: cf. BALE v.1 In 16th and 17th c. the termination -ad was commonly changed into the more familiar -at(e, -et (cf. salad, sallet), and this in Sc. further corrupted to -ant. Cf. BALLET, the adoption of which has probably tended to restore the spelling ballad. The primitive meaning of dance was in Pr. and It., but the word was adopted in Fr. and Eng. only in transferred senses. See also BALLADE.]
† 1. A song intended as the accompaniment to a dance; the tune to which the song is sung. Obs.
c. 1500. Dunbar, Gold. Targe, 129. And sang ballettis with michty notis clere: Ladyes to dance full sobirly assayit.
1545. Ascham, Toxoph. (Arb.), 39. These balades and roundes, these galiardes, pauanes and daunces.
1549. Olde, Erasm. Par. Eph. v. 19. That can stirre vs, not to wanton dauncynges or folyshe ballettes.
1597. Morley, Introd. Mus., 180. An other kind … of Ballets, commonlie called fa las … deuised to be daunced to voices.
a. 1616. B. Jonson, Love Rest., 12. Unlesse we should come in like a Morrice-dance, and whistle our ballat our selves.
2. A light, simple song of any kind; now spec. a sentimental or romantic composition of two or more verses, each of which is sung to the same melody, the musical accompaniment being strictly subordinate to the air.
1492. in Michelet, Scot. Lang., 218. For the singyn of a ballat to the King.
c. 1500. Mayd Emlyn, in Poet. Tracts (1842), 16. We do nought togyder, But prycked balades synge.
1521. State Papers Hen. VIII., I. 10. Mr. Almoner, in hys sermone, broght in the balates off ‘Passe tyme with goodde cumpanye,’ and ‘I love unlovydde.’
1568. Bible (Bishops’), title, The Ballet of Ballets of Solomon.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, I. xx. Ballades of praise called Encomia.
1664–5. Pepys, Diary, 2 Jan. I occasioned much mirth by a ballet I brought with me, made from the seamen at sea to their ladies in town [i.e., Ld. Dorset’s ‘To all you Ladies’].
1770. Goldsm., Des. Vil., 244. No more the woodman’s ballad shall prevail.
1855. Tennyson, Maud, I. V. i. She is singing an air that is known to me, A passionate ballad gallant and gay.
† 3. A popular song; often spec. one celebrating or scurrilously attacking persons or institutions. (The ‘ballad’ in this and prec. sense was often printed as a broadsheet.) Obs.
1556. Chron. Grey Friars (1852), 57. Many ballyttes made of dyvers partys agayne the blyssyd sacrament.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., IV. iii. 52. I will haue it in a particular Ballad, with my owne Picture on the top of it.
1602. Ret. fr. Parnass., I. ii. (Arb.), 10. Who makes a ballet for an ale-house doore.
1704. A. Fletcher (of Saltoun), Acct. Conversation, 10. Even the poorer sort of both sexes are daily tempted to all manner of Lewdness by infamous Ballads sung in every corner of the Streets…. I knew a very wise man … that he believed if a man were permitted to make all the Ballads, he need not care who should make the Laws of a Nation.
1727. Swift, Furth. Acct. Curll, Wks. 1755, III. I. 160. Resolved, That a ballad be made against Mr. Pope.
1782. Burney, Hist. Mus., II. iv. 343, note. The English Ballad has long been … confined to a low species of Song.
1825. J. Wilson, Noct. Ambr., Wks. I. 2. A beuk of old ballants as yellow as the cowslips.
† 4. A proverbial saying, usually in form of a couplet; a posy. (Cf. L. cantilena.) Obs.
1528. More, Heresyes, I. Wks. 177/1. Than haue we well walked after the balade: The further I goo the more behynde.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 54. Spend, and god shall send … saith tholde ballet.
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, I. iii. 63. For I the Ballad will repeate, which men full true shall finde, your marriage comes by destinie, your Cuckow sings by kinde.
5. A simple spirited poem in short stanzas, originally a ‘ballad’ in sense 3, in which some popular story is graphically narrated. (This sense is essentially modern: with Milton, Addison, and even Johnson, the idea of song was present.)
[1670. Milton, Hist. Eng., V. Wks. (1851), 226. The song … (for … he refus’d not the autority of Ballats for want of better).
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 70, ¶ 3. The old Song of Chevy-Chase is the favourite Ballad of the common People of England.]
1751. Johnson, Rambl., No. 177, ¶ 9. Cantilenus turned all his thoughts upon old ballads … He offered to shew me a copy of the Children in the Wood.
1783. Cowper, Lett., 3 Aug. The ballad is a species of poetry, I believe, peculiar to this country … simplicity and ease are its proper characteristics.
1817. Coleridge, Sibyl. Leaves. The Bard … who made The grand old ballad of Sir Patrick Spence.
1858. Longf., Children. Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are our living poems, And all the rest are dead.
1870. Swinburne, Ess. & Stud. (1875), 85. The highest form of ballad requires from a poet at once narrative power, lyrical, and dramatic.
1872. Buckle, Misc. Wks., I. 161. All history is at first poetry, i. e. ballads.
6. Comb. a. attrib., as ballad-form, -measure, -poetry, -rime (1447), -stuff, -tune; b. objective gen. with vbl. or agent-noun, as ballad-making (1505), -singing, ballad-maker (1586), -reciter, -singer, -writer, BALLAD-MONGER. Also balled-farce, -opera, a play into which popular songs are introduced; ballad-wise adv., in the manner of a ballad, in song.
1787. Sir J. Hawkins, Johnson, 198 (Jod.). An impatience for pantomimes and *ballad-farces.
1865. M. Arnold, Ess. Crit. (1875), 210. A *ballad-form which has more rapidity and grace.
1586. W. Webbe, Eng. Poetrie (Arb.), 36. The vncountable rabble of ryming *Ballet-makers.
1815. Scott, Guy M., xli. The devil take all ballads, and ballad-makers, and ballad-singers!
c. 1505. Dunbar, Lament for Makaris, 60. Fra *balat making et trigide.
1775. Ann. Reg., 40/2. He wrote it in *ballad measure.
1779. Johnson, L. P., Wks. 1816, X. 218. We owe to Gay the *Ballad-Opera.
1863. Burton, Bk. Hunter, 300. That delightful department of literature, our *ballad poetry.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys, 60. What best plesyth me I have as I can declaryd in latyn In *balaade ryme.
1707. Lond. Gaz., No. 4370/4. Israel Sewell … a professyd *Ballad-singer.
1831. Carlyle, Sart. Res., II. ii. Ballad-singers brayed, Auctioneers grew hoarse.
1599. Marston, Sco. Villanie, 194. Then hence base *ballad stuffe.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie (Arb.), 65. This was done in *ballade wise … and was song very sweetely.
1846. Wright, Ess. Mid. Ages, II. xvii. 200. The *ballad-writers of after-times.
