THE UNQUIET GRAVE
(Trad, 19th Century)

A.L. Lloyd, Shirley Collins, Ian Campbell Folk Group,
Hedy West, Dave & Tony Arthur, Frankie Armstrong, John Kirkpatrick 
& Sue Harris, May Bradley, Sandra Kerr, Kate Rusby, Joan Baez, 
Gryphon, Steeleye Span, Jon Boden, Dubliners, Helen McCrory




A.L. Lloyd ver: 

“Cold blows the wind to my true love,
And gentle drops the rain,
I never had but one true love
And in Greenwood she is lain.

“I'll do as much for my true love
As any young man may,
I'll sit and weep all on her grave
For a twelve month and a day.”


When the twelve month and one day was o'er,
Her ghost begun for to speak,
“Why sit you here all on my grave
And will not let me sleep?”

“There's one thing more I want, sweetheart,
And one thing more I crave,
And that's a kiss from your lily-white lips
And then I'll go from your grave.”

“My lips are cold as clay, sweetheart,
My breath smells heavy and strong,
And if you kiss my lily-white lips,
Your time would not be long.”
 
Shirley Collins ver: 

“Cold blows the wind tonight, true love,
Cold are the drops of rain,
I only had but one true love
And in Greenwood he lies slain.

“I'll do as much for my true love
As any young girl may,
I'll sit and mourn all by his grave
For a twelve-month and a day.”

Now the twelve-month and a day being gone,
The ghost began to greet:
“Your salten tears they trickle down
They wet my winding sheet.”

“It's I, my love, sits by your grave
And will not let you sleep.
For I crave one kiss from your clay-cold lips
And that is all I seek.”

“But lily, lily are my lips,
My breath comes earthy strong.
If you have one kiss from my clay-cold lips,
Your time will not be long.”

“'Twas down in yonder garden green,
Love, where we used to walk.
And the fairest flower that e'er was seen
Has withered to the stalk.”

“The stalk is withered dry, true love,
So must our hearts decay.
Then rest yourself content, my dear,
Till God calls you away,
Till God calls you away.”

“Mourn not for me, my own true love,
Mourn not for me I pray.
For I must leave you and all the world
And go into my grave.”


Bellowhead ver: (as "Cold Blows the Wind" )


“Cold blows the wind over my true love,
Cold blows the drops of rain,
I never had but one true love
And in Greenwood he lies slain.

“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 a day.”

But when twelve months they were up and gone
This young man he arose:
“What makes you sit by my grave and weep?
I can't take my repose!”

“One kiss, one kiss from you lily-white lips,
One kiss is all I crave.
One kiss, one kiss from you lily-white lips,
Then return back to your grave.”

“These lips they are as cold as clay,
My breath is heavy and strong.
if you were to kiss these lily-white lips
Your life would not be long.

“Oh, don't you remember the garden grove,
Where once we used to walk?
Go pick the finest flower of them all,
It will wither to a stalk.

“Go fetch me a flower from the dungeon deep,
Bring water from a stone.
Bring white milk from a virgin's breast
That baby never bore none.”

“Go dig me a grave both wide and deep,
Dig it as quick as you may.
That I may lay down and take a long sleep
For twelve months and a day.”


Helen McCrory ver:

My breast it is as cold as clay,
My breath is earthly strong;
And if you kiss my cold clay lips,
Your days they won’t be long.

How often on yonder grave, sweetheart.
Where we were want to walk,
The fairest flower that ever I saw
Has withered to a stalk,

When will we meet again, sweetheart?
When will we meet again?
When the autumn leaves that fall from trees
Are green and spring up, again.




(Contributed by =Ae= - June 2015)