Clerk Sanders Oh it was a sad and a rainy night And the rain did rain from town to town Clerk Saunders and his lady gay Were a' walkin' through the fields so brown "Oh a bed, a bed," Clerk Saunders cried," A bed, a bed for you and me" "Oh never a bed," says the gay lady "Until it we'd to married be." For it's I have seven brothers bold And unto you they bear no good will And if they catch you in my bower Oh they'd value not your blood to spill Oh, I'll take the sword out from my scabbard And slowly, slowly lift up the pin That you might swear and save your oath That you never let Clerk Saunders in Then take me up all in your arms And carry me unto your bed That you might swear and save your oath Clerk Saunders never i' your bower did tread So he's taken his sword out from his scabbard And slowly, slowly lifted the pin That she might swear and save her oath That she never let Clerk Saunders in Then she's taken him up in her two arms And carried him unto her bed That she might swear and save her oath Clerk Saunders never i' her bower did tread And then it's in an' came her brothers bold And all their torches burning bright Says they we have but the one sister And see she's lying with a knight And then it's up'n spoke the first o' them I know they have been lovers dear And up'n spoke the next o' them Oh they've been in love for many's the year And then it's up'n spoke the third o' them T'would be a shame these two to twain And up'n spoke the fourth o' them Oh it's a sin to kill a sleeping man And then it's up'n spoke the fifth o' them I swear they'll never be harmed by me And up'n spoke the sixth o' them Oh we'll take our leave and we'll go our way And then it's up'n spoke the seventh brother Saying though there be no man but me I bear the brand all in my hand Shall surely make Clerk Saunders die! And then he's taken in out his nut brown sword And drawn it three times through the straw And through and through Clerk Saunders' body Oh he's got that rusty rapier go! And they have lain all night in each other's arms Until the day began to dawn And kindly to him she did say Oh it's time my love that you were away Oh you are the sleepiest young man That ever my two eyes did see For you've lain all night all in my arms And I'm sure it is a shame to be And then she's drawn the blankets to the foot And turned the sheets unto the wall And then she's seen his bloody wounds And his two gray eyes all pale and cold And it's cursed be my bloody brothers! Aye'n an ill death may he die! For you dared not fight him in the field But you slew him as he laid with me And it's I will do for my love's sake What many a lady will not do Seven long years shall come and go Before I wear stocking or I wear shoe And there's never a shirt goes on my back And never a comb goes in my hair Never a fire nor a candle light Shine in my bower anymore Child #69 Transcribed from 'Ashes and Diamonds' -- June Tabor MP OCT98
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!