THE BIRTH OF ROBIN HOOD


 1
 Willie's large of limb and joint
 And born of high degree;
 And he has gone to Earl Richard
 To work for food and money.

 2
 Earl Richard had but one daughter
 Fair as a lily flower;
 And she and Willie made up their love-contract
 Like proper lovers should.

 3
 It fell upon a summer's night
 Whan the leaves were fair and green,
 That Willie met his gay lady
 Within the woods, alone.

 4
 "O, narrow now is my gown, Willie,
 That used to be so wide;
 And gone from my face is my fair colour
 That used to be my pride.

 5
 "But should my father get word
 What's passed between us two,
 Before he would eat or drink
 He'd hang you over that wall.

 6
 "But you will come to my chamber, Willie,
 Just as the sun goes down,
 And keep me in your two arms,
 And won't let me fall down."

 7
 When the sun was now gone down
 He'd gone to her room;
 And there by the desolate light of the moon
 she looked out of her window.

 8
 In a robe of red scarlet
 She lay, fearless of harm;
 And Willie, large of joint and limb
 kept her in his arms.

 9
 And they'd gone to the good greenwood;
 And before the night was done,
 She's born to him a bonny young son
 Among the leaves so green.

 1O
 When night was gone and day had come
 And the sun began to peep,
 Up rose the Earl Richard
 Out of his drowsy sleep.

 11
 He called upon his merry young men
 By one, by two, and by three;
 "O, what's become of my daughter dear,
 That she hasn't come to me?"

 12
 "I dreamed a dreary dream last night -
 God grant it come to good.
 I dreamed I saw my daughter dear
 Drowned in the salt sea flood.

 13
 "But if my daughter is dead or sick,
 Or yet has been taken away,
 I make a vow, and I'll keep it true,
 I'll hang you one and all!"

 14
 They sought her here, they sought her there,
 They sought her up and down;
 They found her in the good greenwood
 Nursing her bonny young son.

 15
 Earl Richard took the bonny boy in his arms
 And kissed him tenderly;
 Saying, "Though I would hang your father,
 Your mother's dear to me."

 16
 He kissed him over and over again:
 "I claim you as my grandson;
 And 'Robin Hood in the good greenwood'
 shall be your name."

 17
 And many sing about the grass, of the grass,
 And many sing about the corn;
 And many who sing about Robin Hood
 Knows little where he was born.

 18
 It wasn't in the hall, the hall,
 Nor in her painted room,
 But it was in the good greenwood
 Among the lily flower.