Sweet William; Fields Ward 1937 from "Our Singing Country" Lomax
[From "Our Singing Country" Lomax, recording at American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. His version can be heard on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjhWsXsGfus
R. Matteson 2014]
SWEET WILLIAM
B. No. 1357. Fields Ward, Galax, Va., 1937. See "Earl Brand," Child No. 7, Sh, 1:14 ff.
1. It was in the merry, merry month of May,
When the meadows looked fresh and gay,
He hung his bugles around about his neck,
And he went riding away.
2. He rode till he came to Fair Ellen's house;
He knocked and he tingled at the ring.
"Asleep or awake, Fair Ellen," I said,
"Pray arise and let me in."
3. Fair Ellen arose and she slipped on her clothes
To let Sweet William in;
No one was so ready as Fair Ellen herself
To arise and let him in.
4. Then he mounted her upon the milk-white horse,
Himself on the iron-gray;
He hung his bugles around about his neck,
And they went riding away.
5. They rode till they came in three miles of the place,
They stopped and they looked all around;
They looked and they saw some seven iron men
Come hasting over the ground.
6. "Get down, get down, Fair Ellen," I said,
"And take my steed in hand,
Till I go back to yonder spring
And stop those seven iron men."
7 She stood till she saw her six brothers fall,
Her father, he fell so near.
"Sweet William," I said, "come and stop your case,
For you seem almost too severe."
8 She took a handkerchief from her side,
'Twas made of linen so fine;
She took and she wiped his bleeding, bleeding wound,
For the blood ran as red as any wine.
9 Then he mounted her upon the milk-white steed,
Himself on the iron-gray;
He hung his bugles around about his neck,
And they went riding away.
10. They rode till they came to his mother's house,
He knocked and he tingled at the ring.
"Asleep or awake, dear mother," I said,
"Pray arise and let me in."
11. His mother arose and she slipped on her clothes
To let Sweet William in;
No one was so ready as his mother herself
To arise and let him in.
12 "Dear mother," I said, "come and bind up my head,
You never shall bind it any more."
Sweet William, he died of the wound that he bore,
And Fair Ellen, she died also.