A holiday, a holiday, and the one of the year DArlen's wife came into the church, the for to hear.
And when the meeting it was done, she cast her about And there she saw Matty Groves, walking in the crowd "Come home me, little Matty Groves, come home with me tonight Come home with me, little Matty Groves, and with me till light" "Oh, I can't come home, I won't 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 the yearlings home"
And a servant who was standing by and hearing what was He swore Lord Arlen he would know the sun would set And in his to carry the news, he bent his breast and ran And when he came to the broad millstream, he off his shoes and he swam
Little Groves, he lay down and took a little sleep When he awoke, Arlen was standing at his feet Saying "How do you like my bed and how do you like my sheets How do you like my lady who in your arms asleep?" "Oh, well I like your bed and well I like your sheets But better I like your lady gay who lies in my asleep" "Well, get up, get up," Arlen cried, "get up as quick as you can It'll be said in fair England that I slew a naked man" "Oh, I can't get up, I won't get up, I can't get up for my For you have two long beaten swords and I not a knife" "Well it's true I have two beaten swords and cost 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 will the very next blow and I'll kill you if I can"
So Matty struck the very blow and he hurt Lord Arlen sore Lord Arlen struck the very next blow and Matty no more And then Lord Arlen took his and he sat her on his knee Saying "Who do you like the best of us, Matty or me?" And up spoke his own dear wife, never heard to speak so free "I'd rather a kiss from dead Matty's lips 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," Lord Arlen cried, "to put these in But bury my at the top for she was of noble kin"