There was a fair maid dwelling,
Made every youth cry well a day,
All in the merry month of
The green buds they were swelling,
William on his death -bed lay,
And death is printed on his face,
And to his heart is stealing,
Then haste away to comfort him,
Then slowly, slowly she got up,
And slowly came she nigh him,
An d all she said, when she got there,
Young man, I think you're dying.
Oh, yes, I'm sick, I'm very sick,
And grief is in me dwelling.
Oh, lay your hand upon my heart,
He turned his face toward the wall,
For death was in him dwellin'.
Good -bye, good -bye, my dear friends all,
As she was walking towards her home,
She heard the death -bell mellon,
And every stroke it seemed to say,
O make it long and narrow.
William died for me today,
I'll die for him tomorrow.
O dig it long and narrow.
William died for love of me,
And I will die for sorrow.
They buried her in the old churchyard,
William's grave was my hearth,
And from his grave grew a red, rose,
And from her grave a briar.
They grew and grew to the steeper top,
Till they could grow no higher,
An d there they tied a true lover's knot,
The red rose and the briar.
