Tamlyn (Young Tambling)

[Verse 1]
Lady Margaret, Lady Margaret, was sewing at her seam
And she was all dressed in black
When a thought come in her head she'd run in the wood
To pull flowers to flower her hat, me boys
To pull flowers to flower her hat

So she hoist up her petticoat a bit above her knee
And so nimble she run over the ground
Until she come to that green, greenwood
To pull them branches down, me boys
To pull them branches down

And suddenly up rose a fine young man
And he was standing by a tree
He says, “How darе you pull them branches down
Without the lеave of me, young lady
Without the leave of me?”

She says, “This little wood, oh, it is me very own
It was me father gave it to me
So, can pull these branches down
Without the leave of thee, young man
Oh, without the leave of thee.”

[Verse 5]
He's taken her by the lily-white hand
And by the grass-green sleeve
And he's pulled her down at the foot of the bush
And he never once asked her leave, me boys
He never once asked her leave

And when it was done she turned about
To ask that young man's name
But she nothing heard and nothing saw
Yet all the woods grew dim, me boys
All the woods grew dim

There was four and twenty ladies sitting in a hall
They were red as any rose
Except it was that young Margaret
And pale and wan she goes, me boys
Pale and wan she goes

There was four and twenty ladies was sitting in a hall
And they're all playing at chess
Except it was that young Margaret
And she's green as any glass, me boys
She's green as any glass

And suddenly upspoke a little servant girl
And she lift her hand and smiled, and said
“I think my lady has loved too much
And now she goes with child, with child
And now she goes with child.”

[Verse 10]
And up then spoke the second servant girl
“And ever alas,” said she
“I think I know a herb in the green, greenwood
That'll twine thy babe from thee, lady
That'll twine thy babe from thee.”

So Margaret she took up her silver comb
Made haste to comb her hair
She's away to the green, greenwood
As fast as she can tear, me boys
As fast as she can tear

And she hadn't pulled a herb and a herb
And a herb but barely one
When up then spoke the young Tambling
He says, “Lady, leave it alone, alone
Oh lady, leave it alone.”

“Why d'you pull that bitter, bitter herb
That plant that grows so grey
Except to still that sweet little babe
That we got in our play, lady
That we got in our play?”

“Come tell me now, young Tambling,” she says
“If a mortal man you be.”
“I'll tell you no lies, sweet Margaret" says he
“I was christened as good as thee, as thee
I was christened as good as thee.”

[Verse 15]
“But as I rode out on a bitter, bitter day
It was from me horse I fell
And the Queen of Elfland she did take me
Within yonder green hill to dwell, to dwell
Within yonder green hill to dwell.”

“But tonight it is Halloween
When the Elven Court do ride
And if you would your sweet [?] save
By the old mill bridge you must hide, ypu must hide
By the mill bridge you must hide.”

“And first will come a black horse and then will come a brown
And then race by the white
And you hold him tight and fear him not
It's the father of your child, my love
It's the father of your child.”

“And they will change me all in your arms
Into many's the beasts so wild
But you'll hold me tight and fear me not
I'm the father of your child, remember
I'm the father of your child.”

So Lady Margaret she took up her silver comb
Made haste to comb her hair
And she's off away to the old mill-bridge
As fast as she could tear, me boys
As fast as she could tear

[Verse 20]
And about the dead hour of the night
She heard them bridles ring
And oh, me boys, that chilled her heart
More than any mortal thing it did
More than any mortal thing

And first then come a black horse and then there come a brown
And then raced by the white
And she flung her arms around its neck
And it didn't hurt her fright, me boys
It didn't hurt her fright

And the thunder rolled across the sky
And the stars they blazed like day
And the Queen of Elven she give a thrilling cry
“Young Tambling's away, away
Young Tambling's away.”

And the first thing they changed him all in her arms
Was a lion that roared so wild
But she held him tight, and feared him not
It was the father of her child, she knew
It was the father of her child

And the next thing they changed him all in her arms
Was to a hissing snake
But she held it tight, and feared it not
It was one of God's own make, she knew
It was one of God's own make

[Verse 25]
And the next thing they changed him all in her arms
Was to a red hot bar of iron
But she held it tight, and feared it not
And it done to her no harm, me boys
It done to her no harm

And the next thing they changed him all in her arms
Was to a naked man
And she flung her cloak all over him
And cried, “Me love I've won, I've won,”
Oh, she cried, “Me love I've won.”

And out of the bush spoke the Elven Queen
And she's red as any blood
“I should have tore out your eyes, young Tambling
And stuck in two eyes of wood, of wood
And stuck in two eyes of wood.”