Greensleeves

Chorus: Greensleeves was all my joy,

Greensleeves was my delight;

Greensleeves was my heart of gold,

And who but my Lady Greensleeves.

Alas, my love, ye do me wrong,

To cast me off disc'urteously:

And I have loved you so long,

Delighting in your company.

Greensleeves was all my joy,

Greensleeves was my delight:

Greensleeves was my heart of gold,

And who but Lady Greensleeves.

I have been ready at your hand,

To grant what ever you would crave.

I have both waged life and land,

Your love and good will for to have.

Greensleeves was all my joy, etc.

I bought thee kerchers to thy head,

That were wrought fine and gallantly:

I kept thee both at board and bed,

Which cost my purse well favouredly,

I bought thee petticoats of the best,

The cloth so fine as fine might be:

I gave thee jewels for thy chest,

And all this cost I spent on thee.

Thy smock of silk, both fair and white,

With gold embroidered gorgeously:

Thy petticoat of sendal right:

And thus I bought thee gladly.

Thy girdle of gold so red,

With pearls bedecked sumptuously:

The like no other lasses had,

And yet thou wouldst not love me,

Thy purse and eke thy gay guilt knives,

Thy pincase gallant to the eye:

No better wore the burgess wives,

And yet thou wouldst not love me.

Thy crimson stockings all of silk,

With gold all wrought above the knee,

Thy pumps as white as was the milk,

And yet thou wouldst not love me.

Thy gown was of the grossy green,

Thy sleeves of satin hanging by:

Which made thee be our harvest Queen,

And yet thou wouldst not love me.

Thy garters fringed with the gold,

And silver aglets hanging by,

Which made thee blithe for to behold,

And yet thou wouldst not love me.

My gayest gelding I thee gave,

To ride where ever liked thee,

No Lady ever was so brave,

And yet thou wouldst not love me.

My men were clothed all in green,

And they did ever wait on thee:

All this was gallant to be seen,

And yet thou wouldst not love me.

They set thee up, they took thee down,

They served thee with humility,

Thy foot might not once touch the ground,

And yet thou wouldst not love me.

For every morning when thou rose,

I sent thee dainties orderly:

To cheer thy stomach from all woes,

And yet thou wouldst not love me.

Thou couldst desire no earthly thing.

But still thou hadst it readily:

Thy music still to play and sing,

And yet thou wouldst not love me.

And who did pay for all this gear,

That thou didst spend when pleased thee?

Even I that am rejected here,

And thou disdainst to love me.

Well, I will pray to God on high,

That thou my constancy mayst see:

And that yet once before I die,

Thou wilt vouchsafe to love me.

Greensleeves now farewell, adieu,

God I pray to prosper thee:

For I am still thy lover true,

Come once again and love me.

Chorus: Greensleeves was all my joy,

Greensleeves was my delight;

Greensleeves was my heart of gold,

And who but my Lady Greensleeves.

~ Anonymous