Lady Marg'ret- Long (NL) 1929 Karpeles E
[My title, replacing the generic Child title. From Folk Songs from Newfoundland; Karpeles; 1934, first stanza and music. Additional text form Karpeles MS in Bronson, No. 6. where he gives changes (stanza 1,9,10) from Variant 2 (which I assume is Karpeles B by Boone).
R. Matteson 2015]
[Lady Margaret] Sweet William's Ghost- Sung by William Long. Additional text from the Karpeles B and from Bronson 6.
1. Lady Marg'ret was sitting by her fire one night,
And a knock came at her door,
Lady Marg'ret went to let them in,
She was never seen anymore.
2. Is this my father the king? she cries,
Or is it my brother John?
Or is it my true love, Knight William? she cries,
From Scotland he has come.
3. It's not your father the king, he cries,
Nor yet your brother John.
But it is your true love, Knight William, he cries,
From Scotland he has come.
4 Do you bring to me any apparel, she said,
Or do you bring to me a ring,
Or do you bring to me any token at all
That a true love ought to bring?
5 I brought to you no apparel, he said,
I've brought to you no ring,
All I brought to you is my cold winding-sheet
That my poor body lies in.
6 There's one requestion I'll ask of thee,
I hope you will grant to me,
That is my faith and a troth, he said,
Lady Margaret, I'll leave in pledge with thee.
7. Your faith and a troth, I'll not bring to you,
Or any such a thing,
Until you'll take me to yonder church
And wed me with a ring.
8. O God forbid, Lady Marg'ret, he said,
That ever that should be
That the dead should arise and marry the quick
And vanish away from thee.
9. . . .
. . .
Three hell hounds watching over me
Won't let my poor soul sleep.
10. . . .
. . . .
The others for staying out late last night,
Walking by a young girl's side.
11. She took her hand all from her side
And struck him all on the breast.
Here is my faith and a troth, Knight William,
God grant your soul to rest.
12. I thank you, Lady Marg'ret, he said,
I thank thee kinderly,
If ever the dead is allowed to pray for the quick,
I must be allowed to pray for thee.