A poor soul sat sighing under a sycamore tree;
"O willow,willow,willow!"
With his hand on his bosom,his head on his knee:
"O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and."
He sighed in his singing,and after each groan,"Come willow,willow,willow!
I am dead to all pleasure,my true-love is gone;
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"My love she is turned;untrue she doth prove:
O willow,willow,willow!
She renders me nothing but hate for my love.
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"O pity me,"cried he,"ye lovers,each one;
O willow,willow,willow!
Her heart's hard as marble;she rues not my moan.
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and."
The cold streams ran by him,his eyes wept apace;
"O willow,willow,willow!"
The salt tears fell from him,which drown-ed his face:
"O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and."
The mute birds sat by him,made tame by his moans:
"O willow,willow,willow!"
The salt tears fell from him,which softened the stones.
"O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"Let nobody blame me,her scorns I do prove;
O willow,willow,willow!
She was born to be fair;I,to die for her love.
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"O that beauty should harbour a heart that's so hard!
Sing willow,willow,willow!
My true love rejecting without all regard.
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"Let love no more boast him in palace or bower;
O willow,willow,willow!
For women are trothless,and fleet in an hour.
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"But what helps complaining?In vain I complain:
O willow,willow,willow!
I must patiently suffer her scorn and disdain.
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"Come,all you forsaken,and sit down by me,O willow,willow,willow!
He that plains of his false love,mine's falser than she.
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"The willow wreath wear I,since my love did fleet;
O willow,willow,willow!
A garland for lovers forsaken most meet.
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and."
PART THE SECOND.
"Low laid by my sorrow,begot by disdain;
O willow,willow,willow!
Against her too cruel,still still I complain,O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and!
"O love too injurious,to wound my poor heart!
O willow,willow,willow!
To suffer the triumph,and joy in my smart:
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"O willow,willow,willow!the willow garl-and,O willow,willow,willow!
A sign of her falseness before me doth stand:
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"As here it doth bid to despair and to die,O willow,willow,willow!
So hang it,friends,o'er me in grave where I lie:
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"In grave where I rest me,hang this to the view,O willow,willow,willow!
Of all that do know her,to blaze her untrue.
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"With these words engraven,as epitaph meet,O willow,willow,willow!
'Here lies one drank poison for potion most sweet,'
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"Though she thus unkindly hath scorn-ed my love,O willow,willow,willow!
And carelessly smiles at the sorrows I prove;
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"I cannot against her unkindly exclaim,O willow,willow,willow!
'Cause once well I loved her,and honoured her name:
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"The name of her sounded so sweet in mine ear,O willow,willow,willow!
It raised my heart lightly,the name of my dear;
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"As then 'twas my comfort,it now is my grief;
O willow,willow,willow!
It now brings me anguish;then brought me relief.
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and.
"Farewell,fair false-hearted:plaints end with my breath!
O willow,willow,willow!
Thou dost loathe me,I love thee,though cause of my death.
O willow,willow,willow!
O willow,willow,willow!
Sing,O the green willow shall be my garl-and."