The Grey Cock

“I must be going, no longer staying,
The burning Thames I have to cross.
Oh, I must be guided without a stumble
Into the arms of my dear lass.”

“I must be going, no longer staying,
The burning Thames I have to cross.
I will be guided without a stumble
Into the arms I love the best.”

And when he came to his true love's window,
He knelt down gently on a stone,
And it's through a pane he whispered slowly:
“My dear girl, are you alone?”

And when he came to his true love's window,
He knelt down gently all on a stone,
And it's through the pane he has whispered slowly,
“My darling dear, do you lie alone?”

She rose her head from her down-soft pillow,
And snowy were her milk-white breasts,
Saying: “Who's there, who's there at my bedroom window,
Disturbing me from my long night's rest?”

She's raised her head from her down-soft pillow,
And snowy were her milk-white breasts,
Saying: “Who's there, who's there at my bedroom window,
Disturbing me from my long night's rest?”

“Oh, I'm your lover and can't discover,*
I pray you rise, love, and let me in,
For I am fatigued from my long night's journey.
Besides, I'm wet into the skin.”

“Tis I, your love, but don't discover,*
I pray you rise and let me in,
For I am fatigued from my long night's journey,
Besides, I am wet unto my skin.”

Now this young girl rose and put on her clothing.
She quickly let her own true love in.
Oh, they kissed, shook hands, and embraced together,
Till that long night was near an end.

So this young girl rose and put on her clothing,
So swift she's let her true love in.
And it's there they kissed and embraced each other
Through that long night they lay as one.

“Oh Willie dear, oh dearest Willie,
Where is that colour you'd some time ago?”
“O Mary dear, the clay has changed me,
I'm but the ghost of your Willie, oh.”

Then it's: “Willy dear, oh dearest Willy,
Where's your colour you'd some time ago?”
“O Mary dear, the clay has changed me
And I'm but the ghost of your Willy, oh.”

“Then oh cock, oh cock, oh handsome cockerel,
I pray you not crow until it's day.
For your wings I'll make of the very first beaten gold,
And your comb I'll make of the silver grey.”

“Then it's cock, oh cock, oh handsome cockerel,
I pray you not crow before it is day,
And your wings I'll make of the very first beaten gold,
Your comb I will make of the silver grey.”

But the cock it crew, and it crew so fully.
It crew three hours before it was day.
And before it was day, my love had to go away,
Not by the light of the moon or the light of day.

But the cock he crew, and he crew so fully,
He crew three hours before it was day,
And before twas day, my love had to leave me,
Not by light of the moon nor light of the sun.

Then it's “Willie dear, oh dearest Willie,
Whenever shall I see you again?”
“When the fish they fly, love, and the sea runs dry, love,
And the rocks they melt in the heat of the sun.”

“So Willy dear, oh dearest Willy,
When shall I see you again?”
“When the fishes fly, love, and the sea runs dry, love,
And the rocks they melt in the heat of the sun”

As Mary lay sleeping, her love came creeping
To her bedroom door so slow,
Saying, “Rise up, Mary, my lovely Mary,
I'm your charming Willie-o.”

Mary arose, she put on her clothes
And to her bedroom door did go,
And there she found her own true lover
And his face was white as the lily snow.

“Oh, Willie dear, where are those blushes,
That you had some long ago?”
“Mary dear, the clay has changed them;
I'm but the ghost of your Willie-o.”

They spent that night in deep conversation
Concerning their courtship years ago.
They kissed, they shook hands and sorrowful parted
Just as the cock began to grow.

And as they were in deep conversation
Down her cheeks the tears did flow.
“Farewell, Darling, I must leave you;
I'm but the ghost of your Willie-o.”

“Oh, Willie dear, when will we meet again?”
“When the fishes there will fly
And the sea it will run dry
And the rocks they will melt with the sun.”