A holiday, a holiday, and the first one of the Lord DArlen's came into the church, the for to hear.
And the meeting it was done, she cast her eyes about And there she saw Matty Groves, walking in the crowd "Come home with me, Matty Groves, come home with me tonight Come home me, little Matty Groves, and sleep with me till light" "Oh, I come home, I won't come home and sleep with you tonight By the rings on your I can tell you are my master's wife" "But if I am Lord Arlen 's wife, Lord Arlen's not at He is out in the far cornfields bringing the home"
And a who was standing by and hearing what was said He swore Lord Arlen he know before the sun would set And in his hurry to carry the news, he bent his and ran And when he came to the broad millstream, he took off his and he swam
Little Matty Groves, he lay down and a little sleep When he awoke, Lord was standing at his feet "How do you like my feather bed and how do you like my sheets How do you my lady who lies in your arms asleep?" "Oh, well I your feather bed and well I like your sheets But better I like your gay who lies in my arms asleep" "Well, get up, get up," Lord cried, "get up as quick as you can It'll never be said in fair England that I slew a man" "Oh, I get up, I won't get up, I can't get up for my life For you two long beaten swords and I not a pocket knife" "Well it's true I have two beaten and they cost me deep in the purse But you will the better of them and I will have the worse And you will strike the very blow and strike it like a man I will strike the next blow and I'll kill you if I can"
So Matty struck the very first blow and he Lord Arlen sore Lord Arlen struck the very next blow and Matty struck no And then Lord Arlen his wife and he sat her on his knee "Who do you like the best of us, Matty Groves or me?" And then up spoke his own dear wife, never to speak so free "I'd rather a kiss from dead lips than you or your finery"
Arlen he jumped up and loudly he did bawl He struck his wife right the heart and pinned her against the wall "A grave, a grave," Arlen cried, "to put these lovers in But bury my lady at the top for she was of kin"