Fair Margaret- Long (WV) 1975 Gainer
[From: Folk Songs from the West Virginia Mountains; 1975 Patrick Gainer. It's possible the informant is Martha C. "Mattie" Long (1870- 1957) of West Virginia. Gainer is known to have recreated ballads and it's impossible to tell the authenticity of this ballad. It's a full, standard text. Gainer's notes follow- the title "Fair Margaret and Sweet William" is not a local title (despite Gainer's assertion in his notes).
R. Matteson 2017]
FAIR MARGARET AND SWEET WILLIAM
(CHILD 74, "FAIR MARGARET AND SWEET WILLIAM")
This tragic love ballad ordinarily retains its old-world title in our tradition. It has been found frequently in West Virginia. It is pretty clear in the beginning of the song that Lady Margaret thinks she is to be the bride of Sweet William. The shock of seeing Wtlliam with his bride causes her to die. There was an old belief that if one kissed the lips of the dead, he, too, would die soon. William, overcome by sorrow, kissed the lips of Margaret (stanza 10) knowing that he, too, would die. The plants that grow up from the graves symbolize the eternal unity of lovers. Sung by "Aunt" Mattie Long, Braxton County.
1 Sweet William he rose on merry, merry morn,
And dressed himself in blue;
"Pray tell me that long, long talk
Between Lady Margaret and you.
2 "I know nothing of Lady Margaret," he said,
"Lady Margaret knows nothing of me;
Before eight o'clock tomorrow morn
A wedding you will see."
3 Lady Margaret was standing by her diamond window,
A-combing her long yellow hair;
Who did she spy but Sweet William and his bride,
As they went along the road so fair?
4 Down, down she threw her ivory comb,
And back she tossed her hair,
And down she fell from her diamond window,
Nevermore was seen standing there.
5 "Such dreams, such dreams I never had,
I'm afraid they will prove true.
I dreamed that my room was full of white swine,
And the love tears came flowing true."
6 He rode till he came to Margaret's house,
And he jingled all on the ring;
And who was so willing than her seventh brother rose
To rise and let him in.
7 "O is she in the kitchen?" he said,
"Or is she in the hall?
Or is she in the upper room
Among the fair ladies all?"
8 "She's neither in the kitchen," he said,
"Neither is she in the hall;
She's in her coffin made of lead,
With her pale face turned to the wall."
9 "Roll down, roll down, those milk-white sheets,
Roll down, roll down those blinds,
And let me kiss those red rosy cheeks
As often as they've kissed mine."
10 Once he kissed her snowy white breast,
And once he kissed her chin,
Three times he kissed her cold, cold lips
That pierced his heart within.
11 Lady Margaret she died on Monday morn,
Sweet William he died tomorrow;
Lady Margaret she died for pure true love,
Sweet William he died for sorrow.
12 Lady Margaret was buried under one willow tree,
Sweet William under another;
Out of Lady Margaret's grave there sprang a rose,
Out of Sweet William's a brier.
13 They grew and they grew till the church steeple high,
And they could not grow any higher.
Their branches they spread and their leaves they met,
And they tied in a true lover's knot.