A holiday, a holiday, and the first one of the Lord DArlen's wife into the church, the for to hear.
And when the meeting it was done, she her eyes about And she saw little Matty Groves, walking in the crowd "Come home with me, little Matty Groves, come with me tonight Come home with me, little Matty Groves, and with me till light" "Oh, I can't come home, I won't come home and sleep you tonight By the rings on your fingers I can tell you are my wife" "But if I am Lord 's wife, Lord Arlen's not at home He is out in the far cornfields the yearlings home"
And a servant who was standing by and hearing was said He swore Lord Arlen he know before 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 took off his shoes and he
Little Matty Groves, he lay and took a little sleep When he awoke, Lord Arlen was at his feet Saying "How do you like my feather bed and how do you my sheets How do you like my lady who lies in your asleep?" "Oh, well I like your feather bed and I like your sheets But I like your lady gay who lies in my arms 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 get up, I can't get up for my life For you have two long beaten and I not a pocket knife" "Well it's true I have two beaten swords and they cost me 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 blow and I'll kill you if I can"
So Matty struck the first blow and he hurt Lord Arlen sore Lord struck the very next blow and Matty struck no more And then Lord 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 spoke his own dear wife, 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 loudly he did 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 my lady at the top for she was of noble kin"