| Lyrics: | THE HOLLAND HANDKERCHIEF
There was a lord lived in this town;
His praises went the
country round.
He had a daughter, a beauty bright
On her he placed his heart's
delight.
O, many a lord a-courting came
But none of them could her fancies
gain
Till a poor young man of a low degree
Came under hand and she fancied
he.
And when her father came this to hear
He separated her far from her
dear.
Four scores of miles he had her sent
To her uncle's house at her
discontent.
One night as she was for bed bound
And all things ready for to lie
down,
She heard the voice of a deadly sound,
Saying, "Oh, loose those bands that so earthy
bound."
Her father's steed she quickly knew;
Her mother's mantle and safeguard,
too,
And as she mounted on behind,
Rode swiftcr, faster than the wind.
And all
along those words did say,
"My dear and darling, how my head does ache!"
She kissed his
lips and those words did say,
"My dear and darling, you're as cold as clay!"
Her
Holland handkerchief she then pulled out
And bound it 'round his head about,
Saying, "When
we get home a good fire we'll have."
But little she knew he came from the grave.
A
short while after a little space
They both arrived at her father's gate.
"Un-light, my
dear, and go to bed;
You'll find your steed in the stable fed."
But when she entered
her father's door,
Her aged father stood on the floor,
Saying, "Father, dear father, did
you send for me
By such a messenger, kind sir?" said she.
The hair rose on the old
man's head
For he knew quite well her true love was dead.
He wrung his hands and wept full
sore
But this young man's darling wept ten times more.
A short while after a little
space,
They both arrived at this young man's grave.
Although his body was six weeks
dead,
Her Holland handkerchief was 'round his head.
So come all young maidens, a
warning take.
Beware, and not your vows to break.
My vows are broke; my true lover
gone.
I never can call him back again.
Child #272
From Ballads Migrant in New
England, Harkness
Collected from Hanford Hayes, Staceyville, ME 1940
@ghost @ballad
@love
filename[ WILIGHO3
play.exe WILIGHO3
RG
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