[Verse 1] Lady Margaret, Lady Margaret, was sewing at her seam And she was all dressed in black When a thought come in her head shed run in the wood To pull flowers to flower her hat, me boys To pull flowers to flower her hat So she hoist up her petticoat a bit above her knee And so nimble she run over the ground Until she come to that green, greenwood To pull them branches down, me boys To pull them branches down And suddenly up rose a fine young man And he was standing by a tree He says, How dar you pull them branches down Without the lave of me, young lady Without the leave of me? She says, This little wood, oh, it is me very own It was me father gave it to me So, can pull these branches down Without the leave of thee, young man Oh, without the leave of thee. [Verse 5] Hes taken her by the lilywhite hand And by the grassgreen sleeve And hes pulled her down at the foot of the bush And he never once asked her leave, me boys He never once asked her leave And when it was done she turned about To ask that young mans name But she nothing heard and nothing saw Yet all the woods grew dim, me boys All the woods grew dim There was four and twenty ladies sitting in a hall They were red as any rose Except it was that young Margaret And pale and wan she goes, me boys Pale and wan she goes There was four and twenty ladies was sitting in a hall And theyre all playing at chess Except it was that young Margaret And shes green as any glass, me boys Shes green as any glass And suddenly upspoke a little servant girl And she lift her hand and smiled, and said I think my lady has loved too much And now she goes with child, with child And now she goes with child. [Verse 10] And up then spoke the second servant girl And ever alas, said she I think I know a herb in the green, greenwood Thatll twine thy babe from thee, lady Thatll twine thy babe from thee. So Margaret she took up her silver comb Made haste to comb her hair Shes away to the green, greenwood As fast as she can tear, me boys As fast as she can tear And she hadnt pulled a herb and a herb And a herb but barely one When up then spoke the young Tambling He says, Lady, leave it alone, alone Oh lady, leave it alone. Why dyou pull that bitter, bitter herb That plant that grows so grey Except to still that sweet little babe That we got in our play, lady That we got in our play? Come tell me now, young Tambling, she says If a mortal man you be. Ill tell you no lies, sweet Margaret says he I was christened as good as thee, as thee I was christened as good as thee. [Verse 15] But as I rode out on a bitter, bitter day It was from me horse I fell And the Queen of Elfland she did take me Within yonder green hill to dwell, to dwell Within yonder green hill to dwell. But tonight it is Halloween When the Elven Court do ride And if you would your sweet [?] save By the old mill bridge you must hide, ypu must hide By the mill bridge you must hide. And first will come a black horse and then will come a brown And then race by the white And you hold him tight and fear him not Its the father of your child, my love Its the father of your child. And they will change me all in your arms Into manys the beasts so wild But youll hold me tight and fear me not Im the father of your child, remember Im the father of your child. So Lady Margaret she took up her silver comb Made haste to comb her hair And shes off away to the old millbridge As fast as she could tear, me boys As fast as she could tear [Verse 20] And about the dead hour of the night She heard them bridles ring And oh, me boys, that chilled her heart More than any mortal thing it did More than any mortal thing And first then come a black horse and then there come a brown And then raced by the white And she flung her arms around its neck And it didnt hurt her fright, me boys It didnt hurt her fright And the thunder rolled across the sky And the stars they blazed like day And the Queen of Elven she give a thrilling cry Young Tamblings away, away Young Tamblings away. And the first thing they changed him all in her arms Was a lion that roared so wild But she held him tight, and feared him not It was the father of her child, she knew It was the father of her child And the next thing they changed him all in her arms Was to a hissing snake But she held it tight, and feared it not It was one of Gods own make, she knew It was one of Gods own make [Verse 25] And the next thing they changed him all in her arms Was to a red hot bar of iron But she held it tight, and feared it not And it done to her no harm, me boys It done to her no harm And the next thing they changed him all in her arms Was to a naked man And she flung her cloak all over him And cried, Me love Ive won, Ive won, Oh, she cried, Me love Ive won. And out of the bush spoke the Elven Queen And shes red as any blood I should have tore out your eyes, young Tambling And stuck in two eyes of wood, of wood And stuck in two eyes of wood.
margaret, lady, herb, young, thee