A holiday, a holiday, and the one of the year Lord DArlen's wife came the church, the for to hear.
And when the meeting it was done, she cast her eyes And she saw little Matty Groves, walking in the crowd "Come home with me, little Matty Groves, come home me tonight Come home with me, Matty Groves, and sleep with me till 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 standing by and hearing was said He swore Lord Arlen he would know before the sun set And in his hurry to 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, Lord Arlen was standing at his 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 like your lady gay who lies in my asleep" "Well, get up, get up," Lord Arlen cried, "get up as 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 get up for my life For you have two long beaten and I not a pocket knife" "Well true I have two beaten swords and they cost me deep in the purse But you will have the better of and I will have the worse And you strike the very first blow and strike it like a man I strike the very next 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 "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 a kiss from dead Matty's lips than you or your finery"
Arlen he jumped up and loudly he did bawl He struck his right through the heart and pinned her against the wall "A grave, a grave," Arlen cried, "to put these lovers in But bury my lady at the top for she was of kin"