A holiday, a holiday, and the first one of the Lord wife came into the church, the for to hear.
And the meeting it was done, she cast her eyes about And there she saw Matty Groves, walking in the crowd "Come home with me, little Matty Groves, come home me tonight Come home with me, little Matty Groves, and sleep with me light" "Oh, I can't come home, I won't come home and sleep with you 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 bringing the yearlings home"
And a servant who was by and hearing what was said He swore Arlen he would know before the sun would set And in his hurry to carry the news, he bent his and ran And when he came to the broad millstream, he took off his and he swam
Matty Groves, he lay down and took a little sleep When he awoke, Lord was standing at his feet Saying "How do you like my feather bed and how do you my sheets How do you my lady 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," Lord Arlen cried, "get up as 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 beaten swords and I not a knife" "Well true I have two beaten swords and they cost me deep in the purse But you will have the of them and I will have the worse And you will strike the very first and strike it like a man I will strike the next blow and I'll kill you if I can"
So Matty struck the very first blow and he hurt Lord Arlen Lord struck the very next blow and Matty struck no more And then Lord Arlen his wife and he sat her on his knee Saying "Who do you like the of us, Matty Groves or me?" And then up spoke his own dear wife, never heard to speak so "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 right through the heart and pinned her against the wall "A grave, a grave," Lord cried, "to put these lovers in But my lady at the top for she was of noble kin"