Martin Carthy And Dave Swarbrick - Little Musgrave And Lady Barnard lyrics

On a day, on a day, on a bright holiday as many there be in the year When Little Musgrave to the church did go, god's holy word to hear. He went and he stood all at the church door; he watched the priest at his ma**. But he had more mind of the fair women than he had of Our Lady's grace. For some of them were clad in the green and some were clad in the pall, And in and come Lord Barnard's wife, the fairest among them all. She cast her eye on Little Musgrave, full bright as the summer sun, And then and thought this Little Musgrave, this lady's heart I have won. Says she, "I have loved thee, Little Musgrave, full long and many's the day." "So have I loved, lady fair, yet never a word durst I say." "Oh I have a bower at Bucklesfordberry all daintily painted white And if thou'd went thither, thou Little Musgrave, thou's lie in my arms all this night." Says he, "I thank thee, lady fair, this kindness thou showest to me And this night will I to Bucklesfordberry, all night for to lay with thee." When he heard that, her little foot page all by her foot as he run He says, "Although I am my lady's page, yet am I Lord Barnard's man. My Lord Barnard shall know of this, whether I do sink or do swim." And ever where the bridges were broke, he laid to his breast and he swum. "Oh sleep thou wake, thou Lord Barnard, as thou art a man of life. For Little Musgrave is at Bucklesfordberry in bed with thine own wedded wife." "Oh if this be true, thou little foot page, this thing that thou tellest to me Then all my land in Bucklesfordberry freely I give it to thee. But if this be a lie, thou little foot page, this thing that thou tellest to me Then from the highest tree in Bucklesfordberry high hanged thou shalt be." And he called to him his merry men, all by one by two by three, Says, "this night must I to Bucklesfordberry, for never had I greater need." And he called to him his stable boy, "Go saddle me me milk-white steed." And he's trampled o'er them green mossy banks, till his horse's hooves did bleed. And some men whistled, and some men sang, and some these words did say Whene'er my Lord Barnard's horn blew, "Away, Musgrave away." "Methinks I hear the thistle co*k, methinks I hear the jay, Methinks I hear the Lord Barnard's horn, and I wish I were away." "Lie still, lie still, thou Little Musgrave, come cuddle me from the cold, For tis nothing but a shepherd boy, adriving his sheep to the fold. Is not thy hawk sat upon his perch, they steed eats oats and hay, And thou with a fair maid in thy arms and would'st thou be away." With that my Lord Barnard come to the door and he lit upon a stone, And he's drawn out three silver keys and he's opened the doors each one. And he's lifted up the green coverlet and he's lifted up the sheet: "How now, how now, thou Little Musgrave, dost find my lady sweet?" "I find her sweet," says Little Musgrave, "The more tis to my pain For I would give three hundred pounds, that I was on yonder plain." "Rise up, rise up," thou Little Musgrave, "and put thy clothes on For never shall they say in my own country i slew a naked man. Oh I have two swords in one scabbard, full dearly they cost my purse. And thou shall have the best of them, and I shall have the worst." Now the very first blow Little Musgrave struck, he hurt Lord Barnard sore; But the very first blow Lord Barnard struck, little Musgrave ne'er struck more. Then up and spoke his lady fair, from the bed whereon she lay, She says, "Although thou art dead, thou Little Musgrave, yet for thee will I pray. I will wish well to thy soul, as long as I have life, Yet will I not for thee Lord Barnard, though I am your own wedded wife." Oh he's cut the paps from off her breast, great pity it was to see How the drops of this lady's heart's blood came a-trickling down her knee. "Oh woe be to ye, me merry men, all you were ne'er born for my good. Why did you not offer to stay my hand, when you see me grow so mad?" "A grave, a grave," Lord Barnard cried, "to put these lovers in. But lay my lady on the upper hand, she was the chiefest of her kin."