Peter Robins, his website

The Unquiet Grave

Variant 78A

1
`THE wind doth blow today, my love,
And a few small drops of rain;
I never had but one true-love,
In cold grave she was lain.
2
`I'll do as much for my true-love
As any young man may;
I'll sit and mourn all at her grave
For a twelvemonth and a day.'
3
The twelvemonth and a day being up,
The dead began to speak:
`Oh who sits weeping on my grave,
And will not let me sleep?'
4
`'Tis I, my love, sits on your grave,
And will not let you sleep;
For I crave one kiss of your clay-cold lips,
And that is all I seek.'
5
`You crave one kiss of my clay-cold lips;
But my breath smells earthy strong;
If you have one kiss of my clay-cold lips,
Your time will not be long.
6
`'Tis down in yonder garden green,
Love, where we used to walk,
The finest flower that ere was seen
Is withered to a stalk.
7
`The stalk is withered dry, my love,
So will our hearts decay;
So make yourself content, my love,
Till God calls you away.'

The Unquiet Grave

Variant 78B

1
`HOW cold the wind do blow, dear love,
And see the drops of rain!
I never had but one true-love,
In the green wood he was slain.
2
`I would do as much for my own true-love
As in my power doth lay;
I would sit and mourn all on his grave
For a twelvemonth and a day.'
3
A twelvemonth and a day being past,
His ghost did rise and speak:
`What makes you mourn all on my grave?
For you will not let me sleep.'
4
`It is not your gold I want, dear love,
Nor yet your wealth I crave;
But one kiss from your lily-white lips
Is all I wish to have.
5
`Your lips are cold as clay, dear love,
Your breath doth smell so strong;'
`I am afraid, my pretty, pretty maid,
Your time will not be long.'

The Unquiet Grave

Variant 78C

1
`COLD blows the wind oer my true-love,
Cold blow the drops of rain;
I never, never had but one sweetheart,
In the greenwood he was slain.
2
`I did as much for my true-love
As ever did any maid;
. . . . .
. . . . .
* * * * *
3
`One kiss from your lily-cold lips, true-love,
One kiss is all I pray,
And I'll sit and weep all over your grave
For a twelvemonth and a day.'
4
`My cheek is as cold as the clay, true-love,
My breath is earthy and strong;
And if I should kiss your lips, true-love,
Your life would not be long.'

The Unquiet Grave

Variant 78D

1
`PROUD BOREAS makes a hideous noise,
Loud roars the fatal fleed;
I loved never a love but one,
In church-yard she lies dead.
2
`But I will do for my love's sake
What other young men may;
I'll sit and mourn upon her grave,
A twelvemonth and a day.'
3
A twelvemonth and a day being past,
The ghost began to speak:
`Why sit ye here upon my grave,
And will not let me sleep?'
4
`One kiss of your lily-white lips
Is all that I do crave;
And one kiss of your lily-white lips
Is all that I would have.'
5
`Your breath is as the roses sweet,
Mine as the sulphur strong;
If you get one kiss of my lips,
Your days would not be long.
6
`Mind not ye the day, Willie,
Sin you and I did walk?
The firstand flower that we did pu
Was witherd on the stalk.'
7
`Flowers will fade and die, my dear,
Aye as the tears will turn;
And since I've lost my own sweet-heart,
I'll never cease but mourn.'
8
`Lament nae mair for me, my love,
The powers we must obey;
But hoist up one sail to the wind,
Your ship must sail away.'

The Unquiet Grave

Variant 78[E]

1
`Cold blows the wind over my true love,
Cold blows the drops of rain;
I never, never had but one sweet-heart,
In the green wood he was slain.
2
`But I'll do as much for my true love
As any young girl can do;
I'll sit and I'll weep by his grave-side
For a twelvemonth and one day.'
3
When the twelvemonth's end and one day was past,
This young man he arose:
`What makes you weep by my grave-side
For twelve months and one day?'
4
`Only one kiss from your lily cold lips,
One kiss is all I crave;
Only one kiss from your lily cold lips,
And return back to your grave.'
5
`My lip is cold as the clay, sweet-heart,
My breath is earthly strong;
If you should have a kiss from my cold lip,
Your days will not be long.'
6
`Go fetch me a note from the dungeon dark,
Cold water from a stone;
There I'll sit and weep for my true love
For a twelvemonth and one day.
7
`Go dig me a grave both long, wide and deep;
I will lay down in it and take one sleep,
For a twelvemonth and one day;
I will lay down in it and take a long sleep,
For a twelvemonth and a day.'

The Unquiet Grave

Variant 78[F]

1
`Cold blows the wind over my true love,
Cold blow the drops of rain;
I never, never had but one true love,
And in Camvile he was slain.
2
`I'll do as much for my true love
As any young girl may;
I'll sit and weep down by his grave
For twelve months and one day.'
3
But when twelve months were come and gone,
This young man he arose:
`What makes you weep down by my grave?
I can't take my respose.'
4
`One kiss, one kiss, of your lily-white lips,
One kiss is all I crave;
One kiss, one kiss, of your lily-white lips,
And return back to your grave.'
5
`My lips they are as cold as my clay,
My breath is heavy and strong;
If thou wast to kiss my lily-white lips,
Thy days would not be long.
6
`O don't you remember the garden-grove
Where we was used to walk?
Pluck the finest flower of them all,
'Twill wither to a stalk.'
7
`Go fetch me a nut from a dungeon deep,
And water from a stone,
And white milk from a maiden's breast
[That babe bare never none].'

The Unquiet Grave

Variant 78[G]

1
`Cold blows the wind to-day, sweetheart,
Cold are the drops of rain;
The first truelove that ever I had
In the green wood he was slain.
2
`'Twas down on the garden-green, sweetheart,
Where you and I did walk;
The fairest flower that in the garden grew
Is witherd to a stalk.
3
`The stalk will bear no leaves, sweetheart,
The flowers will neer return,
And since my truelove is dead and gone,
What can I do but mourn?'
4
A twelvemonth and a day being gone,
The spirit rose and spoke:
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
5
`My body is clay-cold, sweetheart,
My breath smells heavy and strong,
And if you kiss my lily-white lips
Your time will not be long.'

The Unquiet Grave

Variant 78[Ha]

1
`Cold blows the wind tonight, sweet-heart,
Cold are the drops of rain;
The very first love that ever I had
In greenwood he was slain.
2
`I'll do as much for my sweet-heart
As any young woman may;
I'll sit and mourn on his grave-side
A twelve-month and a day.'
3
A twelve-month and a day being up,
The ghost began to speak:
`Why sit you here by my grave-side
And will not let me sleep?
4
`What is it that you want of me,
Or what of me would have?'
`A kiss from off your lily-white lips,
And that is all I crave!'
5
`Cold are my lips in death, sweet-heart,
My breath is earthy strong;
To gain a kiss of my cold lips,
Your time would not be long.
6
`If you were not my own sweet-heart,
As now I know you be,
I'd tear you as the withered leaves
That grew on yonder tree.'
7
`O don't you mind the garden, love,
Where you and I did walk?
The fairest flower that blossomd there
Is withered on the stalk.
* * * * * * *
8
`And now I've mourned upon his grave
A twelvemonth and a day,
We'll set our sails before the wind
And so we'll sail away.'

The Unquiet Grave

Variant 78[Hb]

1
Cold blows the wind to-night, my love,
Cold are the drops of rain;
The very first love that ever I had
In greenwood he was slain.
2
`I'll do as much for my true-love
As any young woman may;
I'll sit and mourn upon his grave
A twelve-month and a day.'
3
When a twelve-month and a day were up,
His body straight arose:
`What brings you weeping oer my grave
That I get no respose?'
4
`O think upon the garden, love,
Where you and I did walk;
The fairest flower that blossomd there
Is withered on the stalk.
5
`The stalk will bear no leaves, sweet-heart,
The flower will neer return,
And my true-love is dead, is dead,
And i do naught but mourn.'
6
`What is it that you want of me
And will not let me sleep?
Your salten tears they trickle down
And wet my winding-sheet.'
7
`What is it that I want of thee,
O what of thee in grave?
A kiss from off your lily-white lips,
And that is all I crave.'
8
`Cold are my lips in death, sweet-heart,
My breath is earthy strong;
If you do touch my clay-cold lips,
Your time will not be long.'
9
`Cold though your lips in death, sweet-heart,
One kiss is all I crave;
I care not, if I kiss but thee,
That I should share thy grave.'
10
`Go fetch me a light from dungeon deep,
Wring water from a stone,
And likewise milk from a maiden's breast
That never maid hath none. (read babe had.)
* * * * * * *
11
`Now if you were not true in word,
As now I know you be,
I'd tear you as the withered leaves
Are torn from off the tree.'

The Unquiet Grave

Variant 78[Hc]

1
`It's for to meet the falling drops,
Cold fall the drops of rain;
The last true-love, etc.
2
`I'll do as much for my fair love
as any,' etc.
the rest 'almost exactly' as b.

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