Lady Margaret- Cunningham (WV) pre1957 Musick B
[From Ballads and Folksongs from West Virginia by Ruth Ann Musick; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 70, No. 277 (Jul. - Sep., 1957), pp. 247-261; also Ballads, folk songs & folk tales from West Virginia - Page 10; Ruth Ann Musick - 1960.
R. Matteson 2014]
[Lady Margaret] 7.2. Contributed by Mrs. Ethel Cunningham of Smithfield, as sung by Frank Fisher of Wetzel County.
(I) One May morning Sweet William arose
And dressed himself in green;
Lady Margaret's mother appeared unto him and said
"What's between Lady Margaret and you?"
(2) He said, "I know nothing of Lady Margaret;
Nothing's between Lady Margaret and me;
But tomorrow morning at the earliest, six o'clock,
Lady Margaret I must see."
(3) Lady Margaret, a-sitting in her hall door,
Combing back her hair,
When she spied her Sweet William and his only intended
Bride in yonder's churchyard.
(4) As they drew near, she threw away her ivory comb,
And out her door she fell;
She never, never woke, nor she never, never spoke,
Nor she never rose any more.
(5) Sweet William, he was wedded, and he was bedded,
Bedded in the finest of sheets;
And Lady Margaret's ghost appeared unto him,
Standing at his bed feet.
(6) Saying, "How do you like your bed?" says she;
How do you like your sheets?
And how do you like your newly wedded wife,
That in your arms do sleep?"
(7) "Well do I like my bed," says he;
"Well do I like my sheets (says he);
But far better do I like that pretty little miss
A standin' at my bed feet."
(8) "I dreamed a dream the other night;
I fear it is no good;
I dreamed my room was full of ill,
And I seen my bed swimming in blood."
(9) "I called in my servant men,
It's one, it's two, it's three.
I must take leave from my newly wedded wife,
For Lady Margaret I must see."
(10) "Is she in her own bedroom?
Or is she in her hall?
Or is she in her kitchen,
With modesty of all?"
(11) "Is neither in her own bedroom,
Or is she in her hall;
But yonder she lies in her own coffin,
With her face turned to the wall."
(12) "Unfold those lily-white sheets,
For I must see her again;
For oft times I've kissed her red, rosy cheeks,
And she has oft kissed mine."
(13) The first he kissed was her red, rosy cheeks,
And the next he kissed her chin;
And the next he kissed was her clay-cold lips,
That pierced his heart within.
(14) Lady Margaret died as though today;
Sweet William died tomorrow;
Lady Margaret died in pure heart's love,
Sweet William died of sorrow.
(15) Out of her grave there grew a red rose,
Out of his a brier;
And they grew to the church steeple top,
And couldn't grow any higher.
And there they entwined in a true love knot,
For all true lovers to admire.