SHEATH AND KNIFE

(Child No 16)

It is whispered in parlour, it's whispered in hall
The broom blooms bonny, the broom blooms fair
Lady Margaret's with child among our ladies all
And she'll never go down to the broom any more

One lady whispered unto another
Lady Margaret's with child to Sir William her brother
And they'll never go down to the broom any more

He's taken his sister down to his father's deer park
With his yew tree bow and arrows fast slung at his back
And they'll never go down to the broom any more

Oh when that you hear me give a loud loud cry
Shoot your arrow from your bow and there let me lie.
And we'll never go down to the broom any more

And when that you see me lying cold and dead
Lay me in a grave with a turf at my head
And I'll never go down to the broom any more

And when that she gave a loud loud cry
His arrow from his bow he suddenly let fly
And she'll never go down to the broom any more

He's dug a grave long wide and deep
He's laid his sister in it with their baby at her feet
And they'll never go down to the broom any more

As he was a-going to his father's hall
There was music and minstrels and dancing among them all
And they'll never go down to the broom any more

O Willie O Willie what makes you in pain?
I have lost a sheath and knife I will never see again
And I'll never go down to the broom any more

Oh, there's ships of your father's sailing on the sea
That will bring another sheath and knife unto thee
But he'll never go down to the broom any more

Though there's ships of my fathers sailing on the sea
Oh such a sheath and knife they can never bring to me
And we'll never go down to the broom any more

And it's not for the knife my tears down do run
It's all for the sheath that I kept it in.
And we'll never go down to the broom any more

As sung by Mary Humphreys on album "Sharp Practice" (Wild Goose WGS 312CD)
From Mary Humphreys and Anahata's web site http://www.treewind.co.uk/mha/lyrics