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þá aðalega 9. og 10. vers

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The Cruel Mother


There was a lady lived in York
All alone and a-lonely
She was courted by her own father's clerk,
Down by the Greenwood side.

She lent her back against a thorn
All alone and a-lonely
And there she had two pretty babes born,
Down by the Greenwood side.

She took a penknife long and sharp
All alone and a-lonely
And stabbed those pretty babes through their hearts,
Down by the Greenwood side.

She dug a grave by the light of the Moon
All alone and a-lonely
And covered it over with dirt and stones,
Down by the Greenwood side.

One day as she was going to church
All alone and a-lonely
She spied two pretty babes in the porch,
Down by the Greenwood side.

“O babes, O babes if you were mine
All alone and a-lonely
I'd dress you up in satin fine,
Down by the Greenwood side.

”O Mother, O Mother when we were thine
All alone and a-lonely
You did not treat us half so fine,
Down by the Greenwood side.“

”O babes, O babes, can you foresee
All alone and a-lonely
What the future holds for me,
Down by the Greenwood side.“

”It's seven years a fish in the flood
All alone and a-lonely
And seven years a bird in the wood,
Down by the Greenwood side.“

”And seven years the tongue of a bell
All alone and a-lonely
And seven more years a porter in Hell,
Down by the Greenwood side.“

”O welcome, welcome bird in the wood
All alone and a-lonely
And welcome, welcome fish in the flood,
Down by the Greenwood side.“

”And welcome, welcome tongue of a bell
All alone and a-lonely
But Christ deliver me from Hell,
Down by the Greenwood side."