My love, he built me a bonny bower And clad it o'er with lily flower A bonnier bower you ne'er did see Than my true love he built for me There came a man by middle day He spied his sport and went away And brought the King that very night, Who broke my bower and slew my knight He slew my knight to me so dear He slew my knight and seized his gear My servants all for life did flee And left me in extremity I sewed his shroud, making my moan I watched his corpse, myself alone I watched his body night and day
No living creature came that way I took his body on my back And whiles I walked and whiles I sat I digged a grave and laid him in, And happed him with the turf so green Oh, don't you think my heart was sore, As I laid the earth on his yellow hair Oh, don't you think my heart was woe, As I turned about, away to go No living man I'll love again Since that my lovely knight is slain With just one lock of his yellow hair I'll chain my heart forevermore