A holiday, a holiday, and the first one of the 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 with me, little Matty Groves, come home with me tonight Come home with me, little Matty Groves, and sleep me till light" "Oh, I can't come home, I come home and sleep with you tonight By the rings on fingers I can tell you are my master's wife" "But if I am Lord Arlen 's wife, Lord not at home He is out in the far cornfields the yearlings home"
And a servant who was standing by and what was said He swore Lord Arlen he would know the sun would set And in his hurry to the news, he bent his breast and ran And when he came to the millstream, he took off his shoes and he swam
Little Matty Groves, he lay and took a little 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 my lady who lies in your arms asleep?" "Oh, well I like feather bed and well I like your sheets But better I your lady 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 can't get up, I 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 I have 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 and strike it like a man I will strike the very next and I'll kill you if I can"
So Matty struck the first blow and he hurt Lord Arlen sore Lord Arlen struck the very next 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 then up his own dear wife, never heard to speak so free "I'd rather a kiss from dead Matty's than you or your finery"
Lord 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," Lord Arlen cried, "to put lovers in But bury my lady at the top for she was of kin"