House Carpenter
13th Century
Child Ballad 243
Well met, well met,
my own true love
Well met, well met, cried he
I've just returned from the
salt, salt sea
And it's all for the love of thee
O I could have married the
king's daughter dear
And she would have married me
But I have refused the
crown of gold
And it's all for the sake of thee
If you could have married the king's
daughter dear
I'm sure you are to blame
For I am married to the
house carpenter
And he is a fine young man
If you'll forsake your
house carpenter
And come away with me
I'll take you to where the
grass grows green
On the banks of the sweet Willie
If I forsake my house carpenter
And come away with thee
What have you got to maintain
me upon
And keep me from slavery
I've six ships sailing on the
salt, salt sea
A-sailing from dry land
And a hundred and twenty
jolly young men
Shall be at thy command
She picked up her poor wee babe
And kisses gave him three
Saying stay right here with the
house carpenter
And keep him good company
They had not been at sea
two weeks
I'm sure it was not three
When this poor maid began to weep
And she wept most bitterly
O do you weep for your gold,
he said
Your houses, your land, or
your store?
Or do you weep for your
house carpenter
That you never shall see anymore
I do not weep for my gold,
she said
My houses, my land or my store
But I do weep for my
poor wee babe
That I never shall see anymore
They had not been at sea
three weeks
I'm sure it was not four
When in their ship there
sprang a leak
And she sank to rise no more
What hills, what hills are those,
my love
That are so bright and free
Those are the hill of Heaven,
my love
But not for you and me
What hills, what hills, are those,
my love
That are so dark and low
Those are the hills of Hell,
my love
Where you and I must go
'Well met, well met,
my own true love
And very well met,' said he.
'I have just returned from the
salt, salt sea,
And it's all for the sake of thee. '
'I could have married a
queen's daughter,
And she would have married me,
But I refused a crown of gold,
And it's all for the sake of thee.'
'If you could have married a
queen's daughter,
Then she should have married thee,
For me, young man, you have
came too late,
For I've married a house carpenter.'
'If you will leave your
house carpenter
And go along with me,
I will take you down where the
grass grows green
On the banks of the River Dee.'
'If I were to leave my
house carpenter
And go along with thee,
What have you got to maintain
a wife
Or to keep her from slavery ?'
'I have seven ships at sea
And seven more in port,
And a hundred and twenty-four
jolly, jolly boys,
And they all will wait on thee.'
She called then her two
pretty babes
And she kissed them most tenderly,
Saying, 'Stay at home,
my two pretty babes'
And bear your own father company.'
She had not sailed on sea
two weeks,
I'm sure not sailed on three,
Till here she sat in her
new husband's cabin,
Weeping most bitterly.
'Oh, do you weep for gold ?'
he said,
'Or do you weep for fear?
Or do you weep for your
house carpenter
That you left when you came here ?'
'I do not weep for gold,'
she said,
'Nor do I weep for fear,
But I do weep for my
two pretty babes
That I left when I came here.'
She had not sailed on sea
three weeks,
I'm sure not sailed on four,
Till overboard her fair body
she threw
And her weeping was heard
no more.
Her curse did attend a
sea sailor's life,
Her curse did attend a
sailor's life,
For the robbing of a
house carpenter,
And stealing away his wife.
DayPoems Poem No. 2505
<a href="http://www.daypoems.net/poems/2505.html">House Carpenter by Anonymous</a>
The DayPoems Poetry Collection, www.daypoems.net
Timothy Bovee, editor
Poets Poems