It fell upon a holy-day
As many in the year,
Musgrave to the church did go
to see fine ladies there
Verse
And some were dressed in velvet red
and some in velvet pale
And then in came Lord Barnard's wife,
The fairest among them all.
Verse
She cast an eye on Little Musgrave,
full bright as the summer sun;
Said Musgrave unto himself
"This lady's heart have I won."
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I have loved you fair lady
for long and many's the day
and I have loved you little Musgrave
though never a word did say
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'I have a bower at Bucklesfordberry,
It's me hearts delight
I'll take you back there with me
If you'll lie in my arms all night.'
Verse
But standing by was a little footpage,
From the lady's coach he ran.
'Although I am my lady's page,
I am Lord Barnard's man.
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'Lord Barnard shall know of this,
Whether I sink or swim;'
And everywhere the bridges were broke,
He'd enter the water and swim.
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" Lord Barnard, my Lord Barnard,
you are a man of life,
but Musgrave he's at Bucklesfordberry,
Asleep with your wedded wife.'
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'If this be true, me little footpage,
This thing that you tell me,
All the gold in Bucklesford Berry
Gladly I'll give to thee.
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'But if this be a lie, thou little foot page,
This thing that you tell me,
From the highest tree in Bucklesfordberry,
Hanged you shall be.'
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"Go saddle me the black he said
go saddle me the grey
and sound you not your horns," he said
"lest our coming you betray"
Verse
But there was a man in Lord Barnard's train
Who loved the little Musgrave
and he blew his horn both loud and shrill
'Away, Musgrave, away.'
Verse
'I think I hear the morning cock,
I think I hear the jay;
I think I hear Lord Barnard's men,
And I wish I was away.'
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'Lie still, lie still, thou Little Musgrave,
And hug me from the cold;
'It's only a shepherd's boy,
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'Is not your hawk upon it's perch?
Your steed eats oats and hay;
And You've a lady in your arms,
And yet you'd go away?'
Verse
So he's turned around and he's kissed her twice
and then they fell asleep
when they awoke Lord Barnard's Men
were standing at their feet.
Verse
"How do you like me bed?" he said, and
"How do you like me sheets?"
"And how do you like me fair lady ,
that lies in you arms asleep?"
Verse
"It's well I like your bed," he said
" and great it gives me pain,
I would gladly give a hundred pounds
to be on yonder plain.'
Verse
So slowly, so slowly he got up
So slowly he put on
Slowly down the stairs
Thinking to be slain.
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Rise up rise up,little Musgrave,
rise up and then put on;
It shall not be said in fair Ireland
that I slayed a naked man.
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'There are two swords down at my side,
and dear they cost my purse;
And you shall have the best of them,
And I will take the worse.'
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The first rook that Musgrave struck
It hurt Lord Barnard sore;
But the next rook that Lord Barnard struck,
Little Musgrave ne'er struck more.
Verse
Then up and spake the fair lady,
from on her bed she lay.'
'Although you're dead, Little Musgrave,
Still for you I"ll pray.
Verse
"How do you like his cheek?" he said, and
"how do you like his chin?
and how do you like his dead body,
now there's no life within."
Verse
"It's well I like his cheek" she said,
"and more I want his chin,
It's more I love his dead body, than
all your kith and kin."
Verse
He's taken out his long,long sword,
to strike the mortal blow,
and through, and through the lady's heart
the cold steel it did go
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'A grave, a grave,' Lord Barnard cried,
'To put these lovers in;
But put my lady on the upper half,
For she came from better kin.'
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'For I've just killed the finest knight
That ever rode a steed;
And I've just slain the fairest lady
That ever did a woman's deed."
Verse
It fell upon a holy-day
As many's in the year,
Musgrave to the church did go
to see fine ladies there
