Who’s to say that fortune grieves him
While the star of hope she leaves him?
Me, no cheerful twinkle lights me
Dark despair around benights me

I’ll ne’er blame my partial fancy
Nothing could resist my Nancy
But to see her was to love her
Love but her and love forever

Had we never loved so kindly
Had we never loved so blindly
Never met or never parted
We’d ne’er been so broken-hearted

[Instrumental]


Fare thee well, thou first and fairest
Fare thee well, thou best and dearest
Thine be ilka joy and treasure
Peace, enjoyment, love and pleasure

Ae fond kiss and then we sever
Ae farewell, alas, forever
Deep in heart-wrung tears I’ll pledge thee
Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage thee

I watched as my love did to the church go
With a bride and bride-maidens she made a fine show
And I followed her on with a heart full of woe
To see my love be wed to another
To see my love be wed to another

I watched as my love did sit down to dine
I sat down beside her and I poured out the wine
And I drank to the wee lass that should have been mine
But now she is wed to another

“Well, stop,” says the groomsman, “If you take my word
Would you venture your life on the point of a sword?
For courting too slowly you have lost this fair maiden
Begone, you will never enjoy her
Begone, you will never enjoy her”

[Instrumental]




Now the lads of the forest, they ask it of me
“How many strawberries grow ‘round the salt sea?”
And I answer them back with a tear in my eye
“How many ships sail in the forest?”

Go dig me a grave all large, wide and deep
And cover it over with wild flowers sweet
And lay me down gently for to take my long sleep
And that’s the best way to forget her

So we dug him a grave all large, wide and deep
And covered it over with wild flowers sweet
And we laid him down gently for to take his long sleep
And maybe by now he’s forgotten
And maybe by now he’s forgotten