157 The Brown Girl
I
‘I am as brown as brown can be,
My eyes as black as a sloe;
I am as brisk as a nightingale,
And as wild as any doe.
II
‘My love has sent me a love-letter,
Not far from yonder town,
That he could not fancy me,
Because I was so brown.
III
‘I sent him his letter back again,
For his love I valu’d not,
Whether that he could fancy me
Or whether he could not.
IV
‘He sent me his letter back again,
That he lay sick to death,
That I might then go speedily
To give him up his faith.’
V
Now you shall hear what love she had
Then for this love-sick man;
She was a whole long summer’s day
In a mile a going on.
VI
When she came to her love’s bed-side,
Where he lay dangerous sick,
She could not for laughing stand
Upright upon her feet.
VII
She had a white wand all in her hand,
And smooth’d it all on his breast;
‘In faith and troth come pardon me,
I hope your soul’s at rest.’—
VIII
‘Prithee,’ said he, ‘forget, forget,
Prithee forget, forgive;
O grant me yet a little space,
That I may be well and live.’—
IX
‘O never will I forget, forgive,
So long as I have breath;
I’ll dance above your green, green grave
Where you do lie beneath.
X
‘I’ll do as much for my true-love
As other maidens may;
I’ll dance and sing on my love’s grave
A whole twelvemonth and a day.’