O you blooming young maidens
I pray now take a part
Never cause a young damsel
To be wounded to the heart
O send him safe back again
To the girl he adore
Where the voice of the nightingale
Sing through the bower.
Pity a lover, pity a lover,
My jolly light horseman
In the wars he is slain.

O eighteen month long by her I've been courted
Where sweethearts do walk and young lambs are sporting
Where me and my true love passed many long hours
Where the voice of the nightingale sang through the bower.

abc | midi | pdf

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Source: Ed. Roud, Upton and Taylor, Still Growing, EFDSS, 2003

Notes:
As this book is very recently released, I do not intend to put many entries from it in the database and would encourage you to buy a copy from EFDSS, Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent's Park Road, London NW1 7AY

This song was collected from Jack Barnard, Bridgewater, Summerset by Cecil Sharp in 4 April 1908. Only the two verses shown were noted.

In my view, the constant swapping between 3/4 and 4/4 time, coupled with the triples is a good illustration of the difficulties involved in trying to record traditional music in standard notation, which was Sharp's preference, rather than using wax cylinders and similar 'true' recording methods.

Roud: 1185 (Search Roud index at VWML) Take Six
Laws:
Child: