Lyrics

[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 she'd 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 darе you pull them branches down Without the lеave 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] He's taken her by the lily-white hand And by the grass-green sleeve And he's 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 man's 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 they're all playing at chess Except it was that young Margaret And she's green as any glass, me boys She's 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 That'll twine thy babe from thee, lady That'll twine thy babe from thee." So Margaret she took up her silver comb Made haste to comb her hair She's away to the green, greenwood As fast as she can tear, me boys As fast as she can tear And she hadn't 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 d'you 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." "I'll 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 It's the father of your child, my love It's the father of your child." "And they will change me all in your arms Into many's the beasts so wild But you'll hold me tight and fear me not I'm the father of your child, remember I'm the father of your child." So Lady Margaret she took up her silver comb Made haste to comb her hair And she's off away to the old mill-bridge 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 didn't hurt her fright, me boys It didn't 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 Tambling's away, away Young Tambling's 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 God's own make, she knew It was one of God's 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 I've won, I've won," Oh, she cried, "Me love I've won." And out of the bush spoke the Elven Queen And she's 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."