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The Knight and the Shepherd’s Daughter / Knight William and the Shepherd’s Daughter / The Shepherd’s Daughter / The Royal Forester

[ Roud 67 ; Master title: The Knight and the Shepherd’s Daughter ; Child 110 ; G/D 7:1465 ; Ballad Index C110 ; VWML AW/2/99 , PG/6/18 , SBG/2/2/192 ; GlosTrad Roud 67 ; Wiltshire 214 ; DT SHEPDAU , SHEPDAU2 ; Mudcat 27608 ; trad.]

Norman Buchan and Peter Hall: The Scottish Folksinger Nick Dow: Southern Songster Alexander Keith: Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads and Ballad Airs Frank Kidson: Traditional Tunes. James Kinsley: The Oxford Book of Ballads John Jacob Niles: The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles Patrick O’Shaughnessy: Twenty-One Lincolnshire Folk Songs Steve Roud, Julia Bishop: The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs Cecil Sharp: One Hundred English Folksongs

John Strachan of Fyvie, Aberdeenshire, sang The Royal Forester on 16 July 1951 to Alan Lomax and Hamish Henderson. This recording was later released on the anthology The Child Ballads 2 (The Folk Songs of Britain Volume 5; Caedmon 1961; Topic 1968). It was also included in 2002 with the title The Knight and the Shepherd’s Daughter on Strachan’s Rounder anthology Songs From Aberdeenshire. Hamish Henderson and Ewan McVicar noted:

Rape presented as violent seduction occurs alarmingly often in the old ballads. Here the rapist knows that the king will give the girl justice against him and tries to fob her off with a foreign pronunciation of his name, but she knows how to name him in Scots. He rides away, but she reaches the king’s door before him. He is single and is obliged to marry her, but ironically she proves to be of higher parentage than him. The vigour and jollity of John’s refrain highlights the ballad’s lack of moral censure at the knight’s action and its respect for the girl’s determination.

A.L. Lloyd sang The Knight and the Shepherd’s Daughter in 1956 on his and Ewan MacColl’s Riverside album of Child ballads, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads Volume II. Editor Kenneth G. Goldstein wrote in the album’s booklet:

Aside from a broadside copy in the Roxburghe Collection and a fragmentary text from Kidson’s Traditional Tunes (1891), all of the 16 texts of this ballad printed by Child were Scottish.

Parts of this ballad will be recognised as having great similarity to lines in Child Waters (63); no question of one’s borrowing from the other exists, however, for the lines appear to suit both ballads equally well. The ballad tale is almost identical to that of Chaucer’s Wife of Bath’s Tale as well as to various other tales including The Marriage of Sir Gawain.

The ballad has been rather frequently reported from tradition in England in this century, and would appear to be better known there than in Scotland at the present time. It has been reported rarely in America.

A.L. Lloyd’s version was noted by Percy Grainger from William Roberts of Burringham-on-Trent, Lincolnshire, in 1906 [VWML PG/6/18] , with additional stanzas from Shepherd Banting of Quenington, Oxfordshire [VWML AW/2/99] .

See Child (110), Volume II, p. 457ff; Coffin, pp. 102-103; Dean-Smith, p. 3; Greig & Keith, pp. 87-90.

Emily Sparkes sang this song as Sweet William in Rattlesden, Suffolk in 1958/59 and Charlie Carver sang it in the Gardeners’ Arms in Tostock in 1960. Both versions were included on the Veteran anthology of traditional music making from Mid-Suffolk Many a Good Horseman (2 cassettes 1993, 2 CDs 2009). John Howson noted in the album’s booklet:

This is a rare ballad usually known as The Knight and the Shepherd’s Daughter. It has been noted down in most corners of England and all over Scotland where it sometimes called The Forester or Lord or Earl Richard, Lithgow or Richmond. The story line is usually that a knight persuades a shepherd’s daughter to give up her maidenhead. She chases after him to the King’s court, she on foot and he on horseback, and demands marriage. He attempts to bribe her but is threatened with execution if he doesn’t marry her. Often the story then reveals that she is herself of higher status. Although both Emily Sparkes and Charlie Carver’s versions have slightly muddled story lines it is remarkable that these are the only traces of the song to have been collected in Suffolk. Furthermore there seems to be only one other actual recording of it from England; that made by Peter Kennedy of Louise Holmes from Herefordshire (Folktrax 90-502 The Baffled Knight - now deleted).

The Young Tradition sang Knight William in 1967 on their second album, So Cheerfully Round. They also sang it on 17 November 1968 at their concert at Oberlin College, Ohio, that was published in 2013 on their Fledg’ling CD Oberlin 1968. Peter Bellamy noted on the original album:

This is our first attempt to apply group singing techniques to one of the “big songs”, and to do so we have had to employ various combinations of voices from verse to verse. Since learning this and working it out we have come across even longer versions of the same story, but this fifteen-verse account did not seem to us in need of further expansion.

Norman Kennedy sang I’m a Forester in the Wood in 1968 on his Folk-Legacy album Ballads & Songs of Scotland (also issued in the UK as the Topic album Scots Songs and Ballads). This track was also included in 1996 on the CD re-issue of English & Scottish Folk Ballads.

Cyril Tawney sang The Shepherd’s Daughter in 1969 on his album of traditional ballads from Devon and Cornwall, The Outlandish Knight. He noted:

Collected by Baring-Gould from James Parsons, Lewdown, Devon, 13 November 1888. [VWML SBG/2/2/192] . Another version was obtained from James Olver, Launceston, Cornwall in 1891 [VWML SBG/3/1/583] . There is evidence that this ballad was well-known in the reign of Queen Elizabeth the First, although English versions of it are rare. In the West Country the story appears to end prematurely. Most other versions, chiefly Scottish, go on to reveal the shepherdess as a rich, noble lady in disguise. Thus the question posed by The Ragged Beggarman on Side One [of this album] looms again.

John Roberts and Tony Barrand sang The Knight and the Shepherd’s Daughter in 1971 on their first album, Spencer the Rover Is Alive and Well. They noted:

This ballad is the sole representative here of those which professor Child considered great enough to include in his collection. Our version escaped across the water to the Maritime Provinces of Canada, where it was collected by Helen Creighton as late as 1954. It lacks the “happy ending” often found in other variants, where the wronged maiden turns out to be a lady far richer than the knight who seduced her.

Dave Burland sang Earl Richard, “a version of the older and longer ballad The Knight and the Shepherd’s Daughter, collected in Somerset by Cecil Sharp”, in 1972 on his eponymous Trailer album Dave Burland.

Steeleye Span recorded The Royal Forester in 1972 for their fourth LP Below the Salt, which was the first album of their longest-living “classic” line-up with Tim Hart, Bob Johnson, Rick Kemp, Peter Knight, and Maddy Prior. The sleeve notes commented cryptically:

Subtitled “The Aboriculturist Meets Superwoman”.

From the singing of John Strachan. The first English text appeared in Anchovy Ram’s elementary drum tutor Half Way to Para-diddle, published in 1293. Although a faithful translation of the original Latin, there is still scholarly dispute as to the spelling of the name ‘Erwilian’ and over the use of the word ‘leylan’.

A live recording of The Royal Forester—probably from a BBC Radio Concert Session in early 1973—was published on the compilation The Harvest of Gold. Another live recording from the Royal Opera Theatre in Adelaide during Steeleye Span’s Australia tour of 1982 was intended for inclusion on the On Tour Australian-only LP release but was subsequently deleted due to time limitations of vinyl pressings. It appeared later on the Steeleye Span / Maddy Prior anthology A Rare Collection 1972-1996.

Johnny Collins sang The Shepherd’s Daughter in 1975 on his Traditional Sound album Johnny’s Private Army.

Lizzie Higgins sang The Knight and the Shepherd’s Daughter in a recording made by Fred Kent and Ailie Munto on the 1975 School of Scottish Studies anthology The Muckle Sangs (Scottish Tradition 5). She also sang The Forester at home in Aberdeen in January 1975 to Tony Engle. This recording was published in the same year on her Topic album Up and Awa’ Wi’ the Laverock, and was included in 1998 on the Topic anthology Tonight I’ll Make You My Bride (The Voice of the People Volume 6). Peter Hall noted:

This robust ballad turns on the social transformation of the heroine from peasant to noblewoman and, as Motherwell suggest, it is a modernisation of the hag into beauteous maiden that occurs in such pieces as The Marriage of Sir Gawain and in tales in English and Gaelic, both Scots and Irish. Greig collected a number of sets most of which are close to ours but the one printed in Last Leaves is longer and more elaborate than the others and ends even closer to Chaucer’s Wife of Bath’s Tale than is usual. In some versions the girl indicates her elevated status by translating his name from the Latin. The melody is the same as that which is in common use in the North East for The Battle of Harlaw and related to others for the present song in both Scotland and Ulster.

Five Hand Reel sang The Knight and the Shepherd’s Daughter in 1976 on their eponymous first album, Five Hand Reel. They sang it to the tune of the Shetland reel Sleep Sound in the Morning which they learned from Aly Bain. This track was also included in the same year on the festival anthology Brum Folk 76 Souvenir Album.

Roy Harris sang The Knight and the Shepherd’s Daughter in 1977 on his Topic album By Sandbank Fields. He noted:

Percy Grainger collected this on his 1906 phonograph expedition into Lincolnshire. His singer was William Roberts of Burringham on Trent. I got it from A.L. (Bert) Lloyd, a champion song giver.

Arthur Knevett sang The Shepherd’s Daughter on his 1988 cassette Mostly Ballads. Vic Gammon noted:

An old song in print in the seventeenth century. A plucky girl attains social elevation by telling of her knightly seducer and forcing him into marriage. He tries to buy his way out of trouble but she insists on having his ‘fair body that the King has granted me’. He ends up wishing he had not acted so rashly. Modern listeners might doubt that the girl did the right thing but given economic opportunities available to females in pre-industrial rural society, not to mention the harsh treatment of women who bore bastard children, I think she acted bravely and rationally. Romantic ideas of marriage are a fairly late phenomenon. Arthur learnt this ballad from a recording of Louise Holmes of Herefordshire.

Jim and Sylvia Barnes sang The Forester on their 1991 album Mungo Jumbo.

The Clutha sang The Forester on their 1996 CD On the Braes. An earlier live recording from Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, in October 1981 was released in 2019 on their album Live From Harvard.

Former Witch of Elswick, Fay Hield sang The Shepherd’s Daughter in 2010 on her first solo CD, Looking Glass. Her source is Arthur Knevett’s cassette Mostly Ballads. She noted:

One of my favourite singers of all time, this tape was given to me by a friend 10 years ago and I have cherished it since. Hard to get a copy of, but well worth it if you can.

Alistair Ogilvy sang The Forester in 2012 on his Greentrax CD Leaves Sae Green.

Alice Jones sang The Knight and the Shepherd’s Daughter on Pete Coe’s and her 2014 album celebrating the legacy of Frank Kidson, The Search for Five Finger Frank.

Andy Turner learned The Royal Forester from from Steeleye Span’s album. He sang it as the 4 June 2016 entry of his project A Folk Song a Week. It is the first traditional song he learned and his 250^th blog entry.

Nick Hart sang Sweet William in 2017 on his CD Nick Hart Sings Eight English Folk Songs. He noted:

Learned from the Veteran CD Many a Good Horseman, and a singer called Emily Sparkes. I always felt that this song doesn’t have a very satisfying end to it, and for ages was trying to write another verse to wrap the whole thing up. In the end I decided to leave it as it is. I’m going to say that this is because it reflects the ambiguity in the melody, but I may well just be making excuses.

Joshua Burnell sang The Knight and the Shepherdess on his 2019 album The Road to Horn Fair. He noted:

Child Ballad 110 and apparently popular during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Will it come soaring back into fashion during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II? We can but hope.

This is the segment of the album where I continue the long tradition of adding an original tune to a traditional song. I always think the best songs are those that come quickest. As I was tinkering around with the lyrics, the melody seemed to spring into my head from nowhere along with the tune and this is possibly my favourite of this collection.

At first I was a bit horrified that she ended up marrying the dastardly knight, but actually it’s a real testament to her character that she insisted on the marriage and had the guts to face the king about it. In historical context, the consequences of not being married would have been fairly grim.

Malinky sang The Forester in 2019 on their 20^th anniversary album Handsel. They noted:

A version of The Knight and the Shepherd’s Daughter, primarily from the singing of Maggie Stewart of Banchory (1954) and Lizzie Higgins of Aberdeen (1970), both Scottish Traveller tradition bearers. It’s a fairly well-known ballad but one in which the story has not always been clear owing to the mix of voices in the narrative. To make the ballad work for two singers, Steve [Byrne] incorporated additional stanzas from the singing of John Strachan, Willie Mathieson, Bell Robertson (and others in the Greig-Duncan Folksong Collection), plus Kinloch’s Ancient Scottish Ballads (1827), and Prof Child’s version G from the James Gibb of Joppa manuscript of 1860. If the tune sounds familiar, it is also that used for the ballad of The Battle of Harlaw, Child 163. In 2017, Steve taught a shortened version of The Forester to the main cast and soldiers while working as folk singing coach on the Netflix Robert the Bruce epic Outlaw King.

Folklincs sang Shepherd’s Daughter on their 2020 album Songs & Tunes From North Lincolnshire. They noted:

Sung by William Roberts at Burringham-on-Trent, 30 July 1906 to Percy Grainger [VWML PG/6/18] . Mr Roberts’ song is a fragment of the much longer ballad The Knight and the Shepherd’s Daughter, or Earl Richard. This is our arrangement of Mr Roberts’ version.
(Lead singers: Kathleen Watson and Mossy Christian)

Lyrics

John Strachan sings The Royal Forester

“I am the forester o this land
As ye may plainly see,
It’s the mantle o your maidenheid
That I maun hae frae thee.”

Chorus (after each verse):
Wi ma worum rorriddy,
Rirum rorriddy,
Right noo werrety ann.

He’s taen her he the milk-white hand
And by the leelang sleeve;
He’s laid her doon upon her back
And askit no man’s leave.

“Now, since ye’ve laid me doon, young man,
You’ll tak me up again.
And since you’ve taen your wills o me
You ’ll tell to me your name.”

“Some call me Jim, some call me John,
Ah’m regairdless o the same.
But when I’m in the king’s high court
Ellilyian is my name.”

She bein a good scholar
She spelt it ower again,
Says, “Ellilyian, that’s a Latin word
But Willie is your name.”

When he heard his name pronounced,
He mounted his high horse.
But she belted up her petticoats
And followed wi aa her force.

He rode and she ran
A long summer day,
Until they cam to the river
That’s commonly ca’ed the Tay.

“The water it’s too deep, my love,
I’m afraid ye canna wide.”
But afore he hid his horse weel wattered,
She wis at the ither side.

She went up to the king’s ha door,
She knocked and she went in.
Says, “There’s one of your chancellors robbit me,
And he’s robbed me right and clean.”

“Has he robbed ye o yer mantle?
Has he robbed ye o yer ring?
Has be robbed you o yer maidenheid,
And anither ye canna fin?

“If he he a married man,
A hangit he will be;
But if he is a single man,
He shall marry thee.”

Noo, this couple they’ve got married,
She lives in Huntly toon.
She’s the Earl o Owrie’s daughter
And he’s the blacksmith’s son.

The Young Tradition sing Knight William

It’s of a shepherd’s daughter dear keeping sheep all on the plain;
Who should ride by but Knight William and he’d got drunk by wine.
    With me right fal-lal-al diddle-al-day

Well, he has mounted off his horse and quickly laid her down,
And when he’s had his will of her he rose her up again.
    With me right … (chorus after each verse)

“Since you have had your will of me, pray tell to me your name,
So when our dear little babe is born, I might call him the same.”

“Sometimes they call me Jack,” he said, “Sometimes they call me John;
But when I am at the King’s high court they call me Knight William.”

He’s put his foot all in the stirrup, and away he then did ride.
She’s tied a handkerchief around her waist, and followed at the horse’s side.

She’s run till she come to the river brink, she’s fell on her belly and swam.
And when she came to the other side she took to her heels and she ran.

She run till she come to the King’s high court, she’s knock-ed and she’s ring;
There’s none so ready as the King himself To let this fair maid in.

“Good morn to you, fair maid,” he said, “Good morn, kind Sir,” said she,
“Have you a knight all in your court this day have robb-ed me?”

“Well, have he robbed you of your gold or any of your store?
Or have he robbed you of your gold ring you wear on your little finger?”

“Well, he ain’t robbed me of me gold or any of me store;
But he’s robbed me of my maidenhead which grieves my heart full sore.”

“Well, if he be a married man then hang-ed he shall be;
But if he be a single man then his body I will give to thee.”

The King has call-ed all his men, by one, by two, by three;
Knight William used to be the foremost man but now all behind comes he.

“Oh curs-ed be the very hour that I got drunk by wine
For to have a shepherd’s daughter dear to be a true lover of mine.”

“Well, if you think me a shepherd’s daughter leave to me alone.
If you make me lady of a thousand men I’ll make you lord of ten.”

So then these two to church they went and then small things was done.
She appeared like some Duke’s daughter and him like a squire’s son.

John Roberts and Tony Barrand sing The Knight and the Shepherd’s Daughter

’Tis of a shepherd’s daughter, kept sheep upon the hill
A noble lord come a-riding by and he swore he’d have his will.

Chorus (after each verse):
With your roses all in bloom
Go no more a roving so late in the afternoon.

And when he’d had the will of her and everything was done,
She tucked up her apron, at the horse’s side she run.

And when she’s come to the river wide she’s laid on her breast and swam,
And when she’s come to the other side she took to her heels and run.

And when she’s come to the King’s castle, she’s tingled on the ring,
There was none so ready as the King himself to rise and let her in.

Oh, it’s King, oh it’s King, it’s noble King, it’s noble King, said she
You have a lord in your castle this day has robbed me.

Did he rob you of your purple robe, did he rob you of your pall?
Did he rob you of the gay gold ring you had on your finger small?

He neither robbed my purple robe, nor robbed me of my pall.
He robbed me of my virgin bloom, and that’s the worst of all.

Well if he is a married man, all hanged he shall be,
And if he is a single man, then his body belongs to thee.

If I call down my merry men, what would you know him by?
I’d know him by his curly locks and the rolling of his eye.

Then he’s called down his merry men, by one, by two, by three,
Knight William was the foremost man, the very same man was he.

Why should I drink the water, when I can get the wine?
If you was but a beggar’s brat, why did ye be wanting mine?

If I was but a beggar’s brat, as you make me out to be
When I was out a-roving, why didn’t you leave me be?

Oh God forbid, oh God forbid, oh God forbid, cried he
Oh little did I think that the beggar’s brat would have to make a wife for me.

Steeleye Span sing The Royal Forester

I am a forester of this land as you may plainly see,
It’s the mantle of your maidenhead that I would have from thee.

He’s taken her by the milk-white hand and by the leylan sleeve,
He’s lain her down upon her back and asked no man’s leave.

“Now since you’ve lain me down young man, you must take me up again,
And since you’ve had your wills of me, come tell to me your name.”

“Some call me Jim, some call me John, begad it’s all the same;
But when I’m in the King’s high court Erwilian is my name.”

She being a good scholar, she’s spelt it o’er again,
“Erwilian, that’s a Latin word, but Willy is your name.”

Now when he heard his name pronounced, he mounted his high horse.
She’s belted up her petticoat and followed with all her force.

He rode and she ran a long summer day,
Until they came by the river that’s commonly called the Tay.

“The water, it’s too deep, my love, I’m afraid you cannot wade.”
But afore he’d ridden his horse well in she was on the other side.

She went up to the king’s high door, she knocked and she went in,
Said, “One of your chancellor’s robbed me and he’s robbed me right and clean.”

“Has he robbed you of your mantle? Has he robbed you of your ring?”
“No, he’s robbed me of my maidenhead and another I can’t find.”

“If he be a married man then hang-ed he shall be,
And if he be a single man he shall marry thee.”

This couple they got married, they live in Huntly town.
She’s the Earl of Airlie’s daughter, and he’s the blacksmith’s son.

Lizzie Higgins sings The Forester

“I’m a forester in this wood, an you’re the same design.
It’s the mantle o your maidenhead, bonny lassie, never mind."

Chorus (after each verse):
Singing didio, sing falado,sing didio-iay

“Syne you’ve let me doon, it’s come pick me up again,
An syne you’ve ta’en the wills of me, come tell to me your name.”

“Sometimes they call me James and sometimes they call me John,
And when I’m on the King’s Highway, Young William is my name.”

“They neither called you James or they neither called you John,
And when you’re on the King’s Highway, Young Daniel is your name.”

When he heard his name called out he’s mounted on his steed;
She’s buckled up her petticoats and efter him she’s gaed.

He’s run and she’s run, the lang summer day,
’Til they come til the water, it was cried the River Tay.

“It’s there you see yon castle, it’s ower on yonder green,
There is the bonniest maiden there, that would dazzle your een.”

“I see the castle, it’s ower on yonder green,
And I have seen the maiden there that would dazzle your een”

“It’s did he stealed your mantle, or did he stealed your fee,
Or did he stealed your maidenheed, the floo’r o your body?”

“He neither stole ma mantle an he neither stole ma fee,
But he stole ma maidenheed, the floor o my body.”

“I wished I drunk the water the nicht I drunk the wine.
Tae hae a shepherd’s dochter tae be a love o mine!”

When the marriage it come off – tae laugh tae see the fun –
She was the Laird o Urie’s dochter, he was a blacksmith’s son.

Five Hand Reel sing The Knight and the Shepherd’s Daughter

It’s of a shepherd’s daughter keeping sheep all on the hill,
And by there cam’ a king’s fair knight and he would have his will.

He’s ta’en her by the middle smail and by the silken gown
And he has had his will before he rose her up again.

“Now that you’ve had your will o’me please tell to me your name,
So when our bairnie it is born I might call it the same.”

“It’s some they call me Jack he said and some they call me John
But when I’m at the King’s court they call me Wilfu’ Will.”

He mounted on his milk-white steed and then away did ride,
She’s kirted her petticoat round her knee and ran at the horse’s side.

And when she came to the waterside she bowed her head and swam,
When she came to the other side she took to her heels and ran.

When she came to the King’s high court she tirled at the pin
And wha’ was there but the King himself to let the fair maid in.

“Good mom to you fair maid,” he cried. “Good morning sir,” says she,
“Have ye a knight into your hall this day has robbed me?”

“Has he robbed you o’ your gold or any o’ your purse?”
“No he’s robbed me of my maidenhead and that’s a damned sight worse.”

“Well, if he be a married man then hanged he will be
But if he be a single man his body I’ll give to thee.”

The King’s ca’d out his merry men by one, by two, by three,
And Willy was once the foremost man, but last behind came he.

He came crippled and he came blind, came four fold ower a tree,
But to be crippled or to be blind the very same mannie is he.

“Had I drank the war water when I had drunk the wine,
To have a shepherd’s daughter for to be a true lover of mine.”

But when they came into the church the joke was to be seen
For she was the Laird o’Fyvie’s lass and he was a squire’s son.

Fay Hield sings The Shepherd’s Daughter

It’s of a shepherd’s daughter tending sheep on yonder hill,
A roving blade came a-riding by and swore he’d have his will.
“If you should have your will of me, pray tell to me your name,
So when my baby it is born I might call him the same.”

“Oh some they call me Jack,” he said, “and some they call me John,
But when I’m in the King’s own court, my name is Sweet William.”
He mounted on his milk white stead and away from her did ride;
She’s lifted up her petticoats and run close by his side.

She ran till she came to the riverside, she fell on her belly and swam;
She swam till she came to the other side, took to her heels and ran.
She ran till she came to the King’s own court and boldly pulled the ring,
And none were so ready but the King himself to let this fair maid in.

“What brings you here, my pretty fair maid, what brings you here?”, says he,
“It’s of a knight in your own court this day has robbed me.”
“What has he robbed you of, fair maid, has he stolen all your fee?”
“No he’s robbed me of my maidenhead that my mother has give to me.”

“Well if he be a married man then it’s hanged he shall be,
But if he be a single man, his body I’ll give to thee.”
And he called down his merry men all by one, by two, by three,
Sweet William he came last of all when first he used to be.

And he pulled out a handful of gold, he put it all in a glove.
“Take this, take this, my pretty fair miss, go seek for another true love.”
“Oh I’ll not have any of your gold nor any of your fee,
But I will take your sweet body that the King has granted me.”

He mounted on a milk white stead and she upon another;
They rode along the King’s highway like sister and like brother.
They rode till they came to the first fair town, he bought her a gay gold ring,
And when they got to the next fair town, he gave her a gay wedding.

“Well I wish I were drinking a bath of water instead of drinking wine
Before an old shepherd’s daughter would have been a bride of mine.
I wish I were drinking white wine instead of drinking red
Before an old shepherd’s daughter would bring me to my wedding bed.”

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Patrick Montague for correcting the Steeleye Span lyrics.