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 eyes And there she saw little Matty Groves, walking in the "Come with me, little Matty Groves, come home with me tonight home with me, little Matty Groves, and sleep with me till light" "Oh, I can't come home, I won't home and sleep with you tonight By the on your fingers I can tell you are my master's wife" "But if I am Lord 's wife, Lord Arlen's not at home He is out in the far cornfields bringing the home"
And a servant who was standing by and what was said He swore Arlen he would know before the sun would set And in his hurry to carry the news, he his breast and ran And when he to the broad millstream, he took off his shoes and he swam
Little Matty Groves, he lay down and took a sleep When he awoke, Lord Arlen was standing at his Saying "How do you my feather bed and how do you like my sheets How do you like my 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," Arlen cried, "get up as quick as you can It'll never be said in fair England that I slew a man" "Oh, I can't get up, I won't get up, I get up for my life For you have two long 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 and I will have the worse And you will strike the very first and strike it like a man I will strike the very next and I'll kill you if I can"
So Matty struck the very first and he hurt Lord Arlen sore Lord Arlen struck the very blow and Matty struck no more And Lord Arlen took his wife and he sat her on his knee Saying "Who do you like the best of us, Matty or me?" And then up spoke his own dear wife, never heard to speak so "I'd rather a kiss from dead Matty's than you or your finery"
Lord Arlen he jumped up and he did bawl He struck his right through the heart and pinned her against the wall "A grave, a grave," Lord Arlen cried, "to put these in But bury my lady at the top for she was of kin"