| Lyrics: | GREENSLEEVES
(poss. Henry VIII of England, 1500's.)
Alas, my love, you do me
wrong,
To cast me off discourteously.
For I have loved you well and long,
Delighting in your company.
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my
delight,
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but my lady
greensleeves.
Your vows you've broken, like my heart,
Oh, why did you so
enrapture me?
Now I remain in a world apart
But my heart remains in
captivity.
I have been ready at your hand,
To grant whatever you would
crave,
I have both wagered life and land,
Your love and good-will for to
have.
If you intend thus to disdain,
It does the more enrapture me,
And even so, I still remain
A lover in captivity.
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.
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.
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.
Ah, Greensleeves, now farewell, adieu,
To God I pray to prosper thee,
For I am still
thy lover true,
Come once again and love me.
@courtship
recorded by Deller
Consort on Best Loved Songs
also Dyer-Bennett
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