Famous Flower of Serving Men

Lyrics

My mother did me deadly spite, for she sent thieves in the dark of the night Put my servants all to flight, they robbed my bower, they slew my knight They couldn't do to me no harm so they slew my baby in my arm Left me nought to wrap him in but the bloody sheet that he lay in They left me nought to dig his grave but the bloody sword that slew my babe All alone the grave I made, and all alone the tears I shed And all alone the bell I rang, and all alone the psalm I sang I leaned my head all against the block and there I cut my lovely locks I cut my locks and I changed my name from Fair Eleanor to Sweet William Went to court to serve my king as the famous flower of serving men So well I served my lord the king that he made me his chamberlain He loved me as his son, the famous flower of serving men Oft time he'd look at me and smile, so swift his heart I did beguile And he blessed the day that I became the famous flower of serving men But all alone in my bed at e'en, there I dream a dreadful dream I saw my bed swim with blood and I saw the thieves all around my head Our king has to the hunting gone, he's ta'en no lords nor gentlemen He's left me there to guard his home, the famous flower of serving men Our king he rode the wood all around, he stayed all day but nothing found And as he rode himself alone, it's there he saw the milk-white hind The hind she broke, the hind she flew, the hind she trampled the brambles through First she'd melt, then she'd sound, sometimes before, sometimes behind Oh what is this, how can it be, such a hind as this I ne'er did see Such a hind as this was never born, I fear she'll do me deadly harm And long, long did the great horse turn for to save his lord from branch and thorn But long ere the day was o'er they tangled all in his yellow hair All in a glade the hind drew nigh, the sun shone bright all in her eye He sprang down, sword drew, she vanished there all from his view And all around the grass was green and all around where a grave was seen And he sat himself all on the stone, great weariness it seized him on Great silence hung from tree to sky, the woods grew still, the sun hung fire As through the wood the dove he came, as through the wood he made his moan Oh the dove he sat down on a stone, so sweet he looked, so soft he sang Alas the day my love became the famous flower of serving men The bloody tears they fell as rain as still he sat and still he sang Alas the day my love became the famous flower of serving men Our king cried out and he wept full sore, so loud unto the dove he did call Oh pretty bird, come sing it plain Oh it was her mother's deadly spite, for she sent thieves in the dark of the night They come to rob, they come to slay, they made their sport, they went their way And don't you think that her heart was sore as she laid the mould on his yellow hair And don't you think her heart was woe as she turned her back away to go And how she wept as she changed her name from Fair Eleanor to Sweet William Went to court to serve her king as the famous flower of serving men The bloody tears they lay all around, he's mounted up and away he's gone And one thought filled his mind, the thought of her that was a man And as he's rode himself alone a dreadful oath he there has sworn That he would hunt her mother down as he would hunt the wildwood swine For there's four and twenty ladies all, and they're all playing at the ball But fairer than all of them is the famous flower of serving men Oh he's rode in, into his hall, and he's rode in among them all He's lifted her to his saddle brim and there he's kissed her cheek and chin The nobles stood and they stretched their eyes, the ladies took to their fans and smiled For such a strange homecoming no gentleman had ever seen And he has sent his nobles all, and to her mother they have gone Ta'en her that did such wrong, they've lain her down in prison strong And he's brought men up from the corn, and he's sent men down to the thorn All for to build a bonfire high, all for to set her mother by Bonny sang the morning thrush all where he sat in yonder bush But louder did her mother cry in the bonfire where she burned close by For there she stood all among the thorn and there she sang her deadly song Alas the day that she became the famous flower of serving men For the fire took first all on her cheek, and there it took all on her chin It spat and rang in her yellow hair and soon there was no life left in