Fair Margaret and Sweet William
17th Century
Child Ballad 74
Sweet William he rose in the month of May,
He a-decked himself in blue,
Saying: I long to know that long, long love has been
Betwixt Lady Marget and me.
No harm, no harm of Lady Marget,
Nor she knows none by me,
But before tomorrow morning at eight o'clock,
Lady Marget a bride shall see.
Lady Marget was a-sitting in her bowing room
Combing back her yellow hair,
And she saw Sweet William and his new wedded bride,
To church they did draw nigh.
And it's down she stood her ivory comb
And back she threw her hair.
And it's you may suppose and be very well assured
Lady Marget was heard no more.
The time has passed away and gone
For all men to be asleep,
And something appeared to Sweet William
and his new wedded bride
And stood up at their bed feet.
Saying: How do you like your bed making?
Or how do you like your sheets?
Or how do you like that new wedded bride
That lies in your arms and sleeps?
Very well do I like my bed making,
Much better I like my sheets;
But the best of all is the gay lady
That stands at my bed feet.
The time was passed away and gone
For all men to be awake.
Sweet William he said he was troubled in his head
By the dreams that he dreamed last night.
Such dreams, such dreams cannot be true,
I'm afraid they're of no good,
For I dreamed that my chamber was full of wild swine
And my bride's bed a-floating in blood.
He called down his waiting men,
One, by two, by three,
Saying: Go ask leave of my new wedded bride
If Lady Marget I mayn't go and see.
It's he rode up to Lady Marget's own bowing room,
And he knocked so clear at the ring;
And who was so ready as her own born brother
For to rise and let him in.
Is Lady Marget in her own bowing room?
Or is she in her hall?
Or is she high in her chambray
Amongst her merry maids all?
Lady Marget's not in her bowing room,
Nor neither is she in her hall;
But she is in her long coffin,
Lies pale against yon wall.
DayPoems Poem No. 2542
<a href="http://www.daypoems.net/poems/2542.html">Fair Margaret and Sweet William by Anonymous</a>
The DayPoems Poetry Collection, www.daypoems.net
Timothy Bovee, editor
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