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 her eyes about And there she saw little Matty Groves, in the crowd "Come home with me, little Matty Groves, home with me tonight Come home with me, little Matty Groves, and sleep with me light" "Oh, I can't come home, I come home and sleep with you tonight By the rings on your fingers I can 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 by and hearing what was said He swore Lord Arlen he would before the sun would set And in his hurry to carry the news, he bent his 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 he awoke, Lord Arlen was standing at his feet 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 like your bed and well I like your sheets But better I like your lady gay who 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 can't get up for my For you two long beaten swords and I not a pocket knife" "Well it's true I two beaten swords and they cost me deep in the purse But you will have the better of them and I will the worse And you will strike the very first blow and strike it a man I will strike the very blow and I'll kill you if I can"
So Matty struck the first blow and he hurt Lord Arlen sore Lord Arlen the very next blow and Matty struck no more And Lord Arlen took 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 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 lovers in But bury my at the top for she was of noble kin"