Ballads, English -- England -- Texts; Ballads, Scots -- Scotland -- Texts
He sigh'd in his singing, and after each grone,
_Come willow, &c._
"I am dead to all pleasure, my true-love is gone.
_O willow, &c._ 10
_Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland._
"My love she is turned; untrue she doth prove;
_O willow, &c._
She renders me nothing but hate for my love.
_O willow, &c._ 15
_Sing, O the greene willow, &c._
"O pitty me," cried he, "ye lovers, each one;
_O willow, &c._
Her heart's hard as marble; she rues not my mone.
_O willow, &c._ 20
_Sing, O the greene willow, &c."_
The cold streams ran by him, his eyes wept apace;
_O willow, &c._
The salt tears fell from him, which drowned his face.
_O willow, &c._ 25
_Sing, O the greene willow, &c._
The mute birds sate by him, made tame by his mones;
_O willow, &c._
The salt tears fell from him, which softened the stones.
_O willow, &c._ 30
_Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland._
"Let nobody blame me, her scornes I do prove;
_O willow, &c._
She was borne to be faire; I, to die for her love.
_O willow, &c._ 35
_Sing, O the greene willow, &c._
"O that beauty should harbour a heart that's so hard!
_Sing willow, &c._
My true love rejecting without all regard.
_O willow, &c._ 40
_Sing, O the greene willow, &c._
"Let love no more boast him in palace or bower;
_O willow, &c._
For women are trothles, and flote in an houre.
_O willow, &c._ 45
_Sing, O the greene willow, &c._
"But what helps complaining? In vaine I complaine:
_O willow, &c._
I must patiently suffer her scorne and disdaine.
_O willow, &c._ 50
_Sing, O the greene willow, &c._
"Come, all you forsaken, and sit down by me,
_O willow, &c._
He that 'plaines of his false love, mine's falser than she.
_O willow, &c._ 55
_Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland._
"The willow wreath weare I, since my love did fleet;
_O willow, &c._
A garland for lovers forsaken most meete.
_O willow, &c._ 60
_Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland!_"
PART THE SECOND.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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