Clark Colven

Clark Colven and his lady gay
Were walking to yon garden green
The belt about her slender waist
had cost Clark Colven pounds fifteen

"O listen well now, Clark Colven
O listen well what I do say
When ye go to the wall of stream
Don't ye go near the pretty maid."

"Never fear, my lady fair
No need to take such care of me
I never saw a woman in all my life
That I could love as well as thee"

He mounted on his berry-brown steed
And merry, merry rode he on
Until he came to the wall of stream
And there he spied the mermaiden

"Wash on, wash on, ye pretty maid
That wash so clean your shift of silk"
"It's all for you my gentle knight
My skin is whiter than the milk."

He took her by the milk-white hand
He took her by the sleeve so green
And he forgot his lady fair
And he went with the mermaiden

"Alas, alas!" cries Clark Colven
"And why so sorely aches my head?"
"Perhaps you've lain with a lady fair
Since last you saw your mermaiden."

"But ye'll take out your little pen-knife
And from my shift come cut a strip
And tie it round your lovely head
And then the pain will ease its grip"

And he took out his little pen-knife
And from her shift he cut a strip
She tied it round and round his head
And yet the pain increased its grip

"Alas, alas!" cries Clark Colven
"It's sore and sorer aches my head!"
"And sorer sorer ever will,"
The maiden cries," till ye be dead!"

Then he took out his trusty blade
And sought to stab her where she stood
But there she turned into a fish
And merrily sprang into the flood

He mounted on his berry brown steed
And gloomy, gloomy rode he home
And heavily, heavily lighted he down
When he came to his lady's door

"Oh, mother, mother make my bed
Oh gentle lady, lay me down
O brother, brother, unbend my bow
I'll never bend a bow again."

Clark Colven's mother made his bed
His gentle lady laid him down
His brother, he unbent his bow
it never was bent by him again.