Martin Carthy - Brown Adam lyrics

Oh who would wish for the wind to blow Or the green leaves fall therewith, And who would wish for a finer love Than Brown Adam the smith. Oh his hammer is of a beaten gold And his anvil's all of steel. Oh his fingers white they are my delight And he blows at his bellows well. But they have banished him, young Brown Adam, From father and from mother. And they have banished him, young Brown Adam, From sister and from brother. And they have banished him, young Brown Adam, From the flower of all his kin. And he's built him a bower in the gay greenwood All between his lady and him. And as it fell out all on one day, Brown Adam he thought long. And he is away to the gay greenwood For to hunt him venison. And he's taken his bow all in his hand And his arrows one by one, And he is away to the gay greenwood As fast as he could run. And he shot up and he shot down The bird all on the briar. And he sent it all to his gay lady, Told her be all of good cheer. And he shot up and he shot down The flower all on the thorn. And he sent it all to his gay lady, Told her he would be home in the morn. Brown Adam, he come to his own bower door And he stood there a little way away. And it was there that he spied a full false knight Come a-tempting his lady gay. Oh the knight drew out a gay gold ring That had cost him many's the pound. "Oh grant me love, oh love, lady, And this shall all be thine." "Oh I love Brown Adam well," she says, "And I know that he loves me. And I would not give Brown Adam's love For any false knight that I see." So the knight drew out a purse of gold That was filled right up to the string. "Oh grant me love, oh love, lady, And this shall all be thine." "Oh I love Brown Adam well," she says, "And I know that he loves me And I would not give Brown Adam's love For any false knight such as thee." So the knight drew out his noble sword And it flashed there all in her eye. "Oh grant me love, oh love, lady, Or through you this shall go." Then a-sighing says the lady gay, "Brown Adam tarries long." Then up there jumped him Brown Adam, He says, "Lady, I'm here at your hand." And he's made him leave his bow and his bow And he's made him leave his brand. And he's made him leave a far better thing, Four fingers of his right hand.