There was a knight, and a lady bright
And three little babes had she.
She sent them away, to a far country,
To learn their grammerie.
They hadnt been gone but a very short time,
About three months and a day,
When the lark spread oer this whole wide world
And taken those babes away.
It was on a cold, cold Christmas night
When everything was still
Ahe saw her three little babes come running,
Come running down the hill.
She spread them a table of bread and wine,
That they might drink and eat
She spread them a bed of winding sheet,
That they might sleep so sweet.
Take it off, take it off, cried the eldest one
take it off, take it off, cried she,
for I shant stay here, in this wicked world
When theres a better one for me.
Cold clods, cold clods, inside my bed,
Cold clods, down at my feet –
The tears my dear mother shed for me
Would wet my winding sheet.