Lady Maggie- Womble (MS) pre1850 Hudson A
[From Hudson; Folksongs of Mississippi, 1936. His notes follow.
This ballad is known back four generations- according to ancestry.com Lois Womble's mother was born about 1880, going back two more generations would date it at least to 1850.
R. Matteson 2014]
FAIR MARGARET AND SWEET WILLIAM
(Child No. 74)
Two excellent texts have been recovered from Mississippi. For other American variants, see Brown, p. 9; Campbell and Sharp, No. 17; Cox, No. 11, Davis, No. 19; Pound, No. 16; Wyman and Brockway, p. 94, Barry, No. 15.
A. Text recovered by Miss Lois Womble, Water Valley, from Mrs. C. O. Womble, who sings it and knows it as "Lady Maggie." Mrs. Womble learned it from her mother, Mrs. I. A. Goodwin, who learned it from her mother, Mrs.A. E. Harris. The song is known, therefore, by four generations of the same family.
1 Sweet William's mother arose one morn
And found him dressed in blue.
She says, "Come tell of the broken vows
Between Lady Maggie and you."
2 "I care nothing for Lady Maggie," says he;
"Lady Maggie cares nothing for me;
And before the rise of tomorrow's sun
Another my bride shall be."
3 Lady Maggie was sitting in her dressing room,
Combing her yellow hair,
When who should she spy but Sweet William and his bride,
Going to their infare.[1]
4 She hastily tied up her beautiful hair,
Dashed her ivory combs on the floor,
And swiftly from her room ran a pretty fair maid
That never entered it any more.
5 The day being o'er and the time drawing near
When all of the men were asleep,
Sweet William dreamed Lady Maggie was there
A-standing at his bed feet.
6 "O how do you like your bed?" said she;
"And how do you like your sheet?
And how do you like the pretty fair maid
That lies in your arms asleep?"
7 "Very well do I like my bed," said he;
"Very well do I like my sheet;
But best of all the lady fair
Who stands at my bed feet."
8 The night being o'er and the day drawing near,
Most of the men were awake.
Sweet William arose troubled in his mind
About the dreams he had last night.
9 He called his men into the room,
One, two, and three,
And at last they got his bride's consent
Lady Maggie to go and see.
10 He mounted on his milk-white horse
And rode to her father's gate.
Her own dear brother came to let him in,
Saying, "You have come too late."
11 "Is Lady Maggie in her dressing-room,
Or is she in the hall,
Or is she in the high chamber
That reaches to the tree-tops tall?"
12 "Lady Maggie is not in her dressing-room,
Neither is she in the hall;
She's lying in her cold coffin
That leans against the wall."
13 "Throw back, throw back those snowy white sheets
That are made of silk so fine,
And let me kiss Lady Maggie's cheek,
For it's often she's kissed mine."
14 The first he kissed was her pale cold cheek,
The next was her dimpled chin;
And last of all was her cold blue lips;
That pierced his heart within.
15 "Turn back, turn back those snowy white sheets,
All made of silk so fine.
Today you may lean over Lady Maggie's corpse;
Tomorrow you may lean over mine."
16 Lady Maggie died of a broken heart;
Of grief Sweet William died.
They were buried in the same churchyard.
And they laid them side by side.
1. a party or reception for a newly married couple.