Green Sleeves

 

Alas, my love, ye do me wrong
To cast me oft discurteously,
And I have loved you so long,
Delighting in your companie.
Greensleeves was all my joy,
Greensleeves was my delight,
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but Ladie Greensleeves.

I have been readie at your hand
To grant what ever you would crave;
I have both waged life and land,
Your love and good will for to have.
Greensleeves was all my joie, etc.

I bought thee kerchers to thy head
That were wrought fine and gallantly;
I kept thee both at boord and bed,
Which cost my purse well favouredly.
Greensleeves was all my joie, etc.

I bought thee peticotes of the best,
The cloth so fine as fine might be;
I gave thee jewels for thy chest,
And all this cost I spent on thee.
Greensleeves was all my joie, etc.

Thy smock of silke, both faire and white,
With gold embrodered gorgeously,
Thy peticote of sendall right,
And this I bought thee gladly.
Greensleeves was all my joie, etc.

Thy girdle of gold so red,
With pearles bedecked sumtuously,
The like no other lasses had,
And yet thou wouldest not love me.
Greensleeves was all my joie, etc.

Thy purse, and eke thy gay guilt knives,
Thy pincase, gallant to the eie,
No better wore the burgesse wives,
And yet thou wouldst not love me.
Greensleeves was all my joie, etc.

Thy crimson stockings, all of silk,
With golde all wrought above the knee;
Thy pumps, as white as was the milk,
And yet thou wouldst not love me.
Greensleeves was all my joie, etc.

Thy gown was of the grassie green,
Thy sleeves of satten hanging by,
Which made thee be our harvest queen,
And yet thou wouldst not love me.
Greensleeves was all my joie, etc.

Thy garters fringed with the golde,
And silver aglets hanging by,
Which made thee blithe for to beholde,
And yet thou wouldst not love me.
Greensleeves was all my joie, etc.

My gayest gelding I thee gave,
To ride where ever liked thee,
No ladie ever was so brave,
And yet thou wouldst not love me.
Greensleeves was all my joie, etc.

My men were clothed all in green,
And they did ever wait on thee;
All this was gallant to be seen,
And yet thou wouldst not love me.
Greensleeves was all my joie, etc.

They set thee up, they took thee downe,
They served thee with humilitie;
Thy foote might not once touch the ground,
And yet thou wouldst not love me.
Greensleeves was all my joie, etc.

For everie morning, when thou rose,
I sent thee dainties, orderly,
To cheare thy stomack from all woes,
And yet thou wouldst not love me.
Greensleeves was all my joie, etc.

Thou couldst desire no earthly thing
But stil thou hadst it readily;
Thy musicke still to play and sing,
And yet thou wouldst not love me.
Greensleeves was all my joie, etc.

And who did pay for this geare,
That thou didst spend when pleased thee?
Even I that am rejected here,
And thou disdainst to love me.
Greensleeves was all my joie, etc.

Wel, I wil pray to God on hie
That thou my constancie maist see,
And that yet once before I die
Thou will vouchsafe to love me.
Greensleeves was all my joie, etc.

Greensleeves, now farewel, adue!
God I pray to prosper thee,
For I am stil thy lover true;
Come once againe, and love me!
Greensleeves was all my joie, etc.