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