Digital Tradition Mirror

As I Roved Out

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

As I Roved Out

And who are you, me pretty fair maid
And who are you, me honey?
And who are you, me pretty fair maid
And who are you, me honey?
She answered me quite modestly,
"I am me mother's darling."

cho: With me too-ry-ay
     Fol-de-diddle-day
     Di-re fol-de-diddle
     Dai-rie oh.

And will you come to me mother's house,
When the sun is shining clearly ( repeat )
I'll open the door and I'll let you in
And divil 'o one  would hear us.

So I went to her house in the middle of the night
When the moon was shining clearly ( repeat )
Shc opened the door and she let me in
And divil the one did hear us.

She took me horse by the bridle and the bit
And she led him to the stable ( repeat )
Saying "There's plenty of oats for a soldier's horse,
To eat it if he's able."

Then she took me by the lily-white hand
And she led me to the table ( repeat )
Saying "There's plenty of wine for a soldier boy,
To drink it if you're able."

Then I got up and made the bed
And I made it nice and aisy ( repeat )
Then I got up and laid her down
Saying "Lassie, are you able?"

And there we lay till the break of day
And divil a one did hear us ( repeat )
Then I arose and put on me clothes
Saying "Lassie, I must leave you."

And when will you return again
And when will we get married ( repeat )
When broken shells make Christmas bells
We might well get married.

From Folksongs and Ballads popular in Ireland, Ossian Publications
Note: An Irish variant of Trooper and the Maid
RG

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!