The Dark Eyed Sailor

It was a comely young lady fair,
Was walking out for to take the air;
She met a sailor all on her way,
So I paid attention to what they did say.

Said William, “Lady, why walk alone?
The night is coming and the day near gone.”
She said, while tears from her eyes did fall,
“It’s a dark-eyed sailor that’s proving my downfall.

“It’s two long years since he left the land;
He took a gold ring from off my hand,
We broke the token, here’s part with me,
And the other lies rolling at the bottom of the sea.”

Then half the ring did young William show,
She was distracted midst joy and woe.
“O welcome, William, I’ve lands and gold
For my dark-eyed sailor so manly, true and bold.”

Then in a village down by the sea,
They joined in wedlock and well agree.
So maids be true while your love’s away,
For a cloudy morning brings forth a shining day.

The Spring Time of the Year

As I walked out one morning
In the spring time of the year,
I overheard a sailor boy,
Likewise a lady fair.

They sang a song together,
Made the valleys for to ring;
While the birds on spray and the meadows gay
Proclaimed the lovely spring.

Just as the Tide was Flowing

One morning in the month of May,
Down by some rolling river,
A jolly sailor, I did stray,
When I beheld my lover.
She carelessly along did stray,
A-picking of the daisies gay;
And sweetly sang her roundelay,
Just as the tide was flowing.

O! her dress, it was so white as milk,
And jewels did adorn her;
Her shoes were made of the crimson silk,
Just like some lady of honour.
Her cheeks were red, her eyes were brown,
Her hair in ringlets hanging down;
She’d a lovely brow without a frown,
Just as the tide was flowing.

I made a bow and said, “Fair Maid,
How came you here so early;
My heart by you, it is betrayed,
For I do love you dearly.
I am a sailor come by sea,
If you will accept of my company
To walk and view the fishes play,”
Just as the tide was flowing.

No more was said, but on our way
We ganged along together;
The small birds sang, and the lambs did play,
And pleasant was the weather.
When we were weary, we did sit down
Beneath a tree with branches round;
For my true love at last I’d found,
Just as the tide was flowing.

The Lover’s Ghost

Well met, well met my own true love;
Long time I have been absent from thee,
I am lately come from the salt sea,
And ’tis all for the sake, my love, of thee.

I have three ships all on the salt sea,
And one of them has brought me to land,
I’ve four and twenty mariners on board,
You shall have music at your command.

The ship wherein my love shall sail
Is glorious for to behold,
The sails shall be of shining silk,
The mast shall be of the fine beaten gold.

I might have had a King’s daughter,
And fain she would have married me,
But I forsook her crown of gold,
And ’tis all for the sake, my love of thee.

Wassail Song

Wassail, Wassail, all over the town,
Our bread it is white and our ale it is brown;
Our bowl it is made of the green maple tree;
In the Wassail bowl we’ll drink unto thee.

Here’s a health to the ox and to his right horn,
Pray God send our master a good crop of corn,
A good crop of corn as e’er I did see,
In the Wassail bowl we’ll drink unto thee.

Here’s a health to the ox and to his long tail,
Pray God send our master a good cask of ale,
A good cask of ale as e’er I did see,
In the Wassail bowl we’ll drink unto thee.

Here’s a health to the ox and to his right eye,
Pray God send our master a good Christmas pie,
A good Christmas pie as e’er I did see,
In the Wassail bowl we’ll drink unto thee.

Come, butler, come fill us a bowl of the best;
Then I pray that your soul in heaven may rest;
But if you do bring us a bowl of the small,
May the Devil take butler, bowl and all!

Then here’s to the maid in the lily white smock
Who tripped to the door and slipped back the lock;
Who tripped to the door and pulled back the pin,
For to let these jolly Wassailers walk in.