Oh it was a sad and a rainy night
And the rain did rain from town to town;
Clerk Saunders and his lady gay
Were a-walking through the fields so brown.

So sad and rainy was the night
As e'er did rain from town to town;
Clerk Saunders and his gay lady
Were walking in the fields so brown.

“Oh a bed, a bed,” Clerk Saunders cried,
“A bed, a bed for you and me.”
“Oh never a bed,” says the gay lady,
“Until it we'd to married be.

“Oh a bed, a bed,” Clerk Saunders cried,
“A bed, a bed for you and me.”
“There's never a one,” said the gay lady,
“Until it we'both to married be.

For it's I have seven brothers bold
And unto you they bear no good will,
And if they catch you in my bower
Oh they'd value not your blood to spill.”

For I have seven brothers bold
Unto you they bear no good will,
And if they catch you in my bower
They would value not your blood to spill.”

“Oh, I'll take the sword out from my scabbard
And slowly, slowly lift up the pin,
That you might swear and save your oath
That you never let Clerk Sandy in.

“Love, then take the napkin in your hand,
Hold it up before your eye,
That you might swear and save your oath
That you saw not Sandy here this night.

Then take me up all in your arms
And carry me unto your bed,
That you might swear and save your oath:
Clerk Sandy never i' your bower did tread.”

And you'll take me up in your two arms,
Carry me unto your bed,
That you might swear and save your oath:
That your bower Sandy ne'er did tread.”

So he's taken the sword out from his scabbard
And slowly, slowly lifted the pin,
That she might swear and save her oath
That she never let Clerk Sandy in.

So she's taken the napkin in her hand,
Just held it up before her eye,
That she might swear and save her oath
That she saw not Sandy there that night.

Then she's taken him up in her two arms
And carried him unto her bed,
That she might swear and save her oath
Clerk Sandy never i' her bower did tread.

And she's taken him up in her two arms,
She's carried him unto her bed,
That she might swear and save her oath
That her bower Sandy ne'er did tread.

And then it's in and came her brothers bold
And all their torches burning bright,
Says they, “We have but the one sister
And see, she's lying with a knight.”

Then in and came those brothers bold
And all their torches burning bright,
Said they, “We have but one sister
And do see, she's lying with some knight.”

And then it's up and spoke the first o' them,
“I know they have been lovers dear.”
And up and spoke the next o' them,
“Oh they've been in love for many's the year.”

Then up and spoke the foremost man,
“I know they have been lovers dear.”
And up and spoke the second man,
“They've been in love for many's the year.”

And then it's up and spoke the third o' them,
“'T would be a shame these two to twain.”
And up and spoke the fourth o' them,
“Oh it's a sin to kill a sleeping man.”

And up and spoke the third of them,
“It is great sin these two to twain.”
And up and spoke the fourth of them,
“It is a sin to kill a sleeping man.”

And then it's up and spoke the fifth o' them,
“I swear they'll never be harmed by me.”
And up and spoke the sixth o' them,
“Oh we'll take our leave and we'll go our way.”

And up and spoke the fifth of them,
“I vow they'll ne'er be twained by me.”
And up and spoke the sixth of them,
“We'll take our leave and go our way.”

And then it's up and spoke the seventh brother,
Saying, “Though there be no man but me,
I bear the brand all in my hand,
Shall surely make Clerk Sandy die!”

But up and spoke the seventh man,
“I vow an ill death he may die!
For I wear the sharp sword at my side
That soon shall make Clerk Sandy die.”

And then he's taken out his nut brown sword
And drawn it three times through the straw,
And through and through Clerk Saunders' body,
Oh he's got that rusty rapier go!

And he's drawn out that nut brown sword,
He's drawn it three times through the straw
And in Clerk Saundy's body fair:
That tempered steel went through and through.

And they have lain all night in each other's arms
Until the day began to dawn,
And kindly to him she did say,
“Oh it's time, my love, that you were away.

They've lain there in each other's arms
Until the dawning of the day;
Then kindly to him she did say,
“Oh it's time, my love, you were away.

Oh you are the sleepiest young man
That ever my two eyes did see,
For you've lain all night all in my arms
And I'm sure it is a shame to be.”

Oh you are the sleepiest young man,” she said,
“That ever my two eyes did see.
You've lain this night within my arms,
I am sure it is a shame to be.”

And then she's drawn the blankets to the foot
And turned the sheets unto the wall,
And there she's seen his bloody wounds
And his two grey eyes all pale and cold.

Then she's turned the blanket to the foot
And there she's seen his bloody wounds.
“Oh cursed be my brothers bold!
I vow an ill death they may die.”

And it's, “Cursed be my bloody brothers!
Aye an an ill death may he die!
For you dared not fight him in the field
But you slew him as he lay with me.

And it's in and came her father dear,
Said, “Daughter, let your mourning be.
We'll take Clerk Saunders to his grave,
Then come back and comfort thee.”

“Oh comfort well your seven sons,
Or no man e'er shall comfort me.
For since you've slain my own true love
Oh wedded I shall never be.

And it's I will do for my love's sake
What many a lady will not do,
Seven long years shall come and go
Before I wear stocking or I wear shoe.

And I will do for my love's sake
What many a lady would not do,
For seven long years shall come and go
Ere I wear stocking or I wear shoe.

And there's never a shirt goes on my back
And never a comb goes in my hair,
Never a fire nor a candle light
Shine in my bower anymore.”

There'll ne'er a shirt go on my back
And ne'er a comb go in my hair,
And never a coal nor a candle light
Shall shine into my bower no more.”

Clark Saunders and May Margaret
Were walking in yon gravelled green,
And sad and heavy was the love
I felt it pass this two between.

“A bed, a bed,” Clark Saunders said,
“A bed, a bed for you and I.”
“Oh no, oh no,” the lady said,
“Until the day that we married be.”

“For in would come my five brothers
And all their torches burning bright,
They'd say we have but one sister
And see her lying with you this night.”

“But you take a kerchief in your hands
And tie up both your eyes, you may,
So you may say your oath to save
You ne'er saw me since yesterday.”

“And take the sword from out my scabbard,
You can use it to lift the pin.
So you may say your oath to save
You never let your Sandy in.”

“And take me up all in your arms,
You can carry me to the bed.
So you may say your oath to save
On your bower floor I never tread.”

But in an' come her five brothers
And all their torches in their hands.
They said, “We have but one sister
And see her lying with a man.”

Out 'n spoke the first o' them,
“I know they have been lovers dear.”
And out'n spoke the next o' them,
“They've been in love this many's a year.”

And out 'n spoke the third o' them,
“It would be great sin this two to twain.”
And out 'n spoke the fourth o' them,
“It's a sin to kill a sleeping man.”

But up 'n spoke the fifth of them,
“Although there were not one but me,
Before I leave this room this night
I'll bear the brand and I'll make him die!”

And so out he's taken a bright long sword,
He has striked it through the straw
And through and through Clark Saunders' body,
You know he has made cold iron go!

And they lay still and she slept sound
Until the day began to dawn,
And kindly to him she did say,
“It's time, true love, that you were gone.”

“This night”, she said, “the sleepiest man
That ever my two eyes did see,
Has lain by me and sweat the sheets,
And you know that's a shame to see.”

For she thought it had been a loathsome sweat
That had come to this two between,
She's turned the blankets back a ways
And then she saw the bloody wound.

“Last night I dreamed a dream,” she said,
“And such dreams cannot be good,
I dreamed my bower was full of swine
And my true love's clothes all dipped in blood.”

“And I have dreamed another dream,
And such dreams are never good,
That I was combing my yellow hair
And trailing it in wells of blood.”

“Well hold your tongue, my daughter dear,
Hold and let all your mourning be,
For I'll carry the dead corpse to the clay
And I'll come back and comfort thee.”

“But you comfort well your five sons,
For comforted I never will be.
They might have slain him all in the field
And not where he has lain with me.”