O the cuckoo she's a pretty bird and she singeth as she flies She brings us good tidings and she tells us no lies She su*ks the small bird's eggs to keep her voice clear And the more she singeth cuckoo the summer draws near And when I have found out my joy and delight I'll welcome him kindly by day and by night For the bells shall be a-ringing and the drums make a noise For to welcome in my true love with ten thousand joys In the middle of the ocean there grows a myrtle tree And the green leaves will whither and the branches shall die
The leaves will whither and the roots they will decay And a false-hearted lover will soon fade away For it's meeting is pleasure and parting is grief And an inconstant lover is worse than any thief For a thief he will rob you and take all you have But a false-hearted lover will lead you to the grave But now I have found him my own heart's delight I will be true to my love by day and by night I will be as true to him as the little turtle dove Nor I never shall, no never, prove false to my love