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Alas, my love, you do me wrong,
To cast me off discourteously;
For I have lovéd you so long,
Delighting in your company.
Greensleeves was all my joy,
Greensleeves was my delight;
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but my Lady Greensleeves.
Your vows you've broken, like my heart,
Oh, why did you so enrapture me?
Now I remain in a world apart,
But my heart remains in captivity.
Greensleeves was all my joy,
Greensleeves was my delight;
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but my Lady Greensleeves.
I have been ready at your hand,
To grant whatever you would crave;
I have both wagered life and land,
Your love and good-will for to have.
Greensleeves was all my joy,
Greensleeves was my delight;
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but my Lady Greensleeves.
If you intend thus to disdain,
It does the more enrapture me;
And even so, I still remain,
A lover in captivity.
Greensleeves was all my joy,
Greensleeves was my delight;
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but my Lady Greensleeves.
My men were clothéd all in green,
And they did ever wait on thee;
All this was gallant to be seen,
And yet thou wouldst not love me.
Greensleeves was all my joy,
Greensleeves was my delight;
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but my Lady Greensleeves.
Thou couldst desire no earthly thing,
But still thou hadst it readily;
Thy music still to play and sing,
And yet thou wouldst not love me.
Greensleeves was all my joy,
Greensleeves was my delight;
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but my Lady Greensleeves.
Well, I will pray to God on high,
That thou my constancy mayst see;
And that yet once before I die,
Thou wilt vouchsafe to love me.
Greensleeves was all my joy,
Greensleeves was my delight;
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but my Lady Greensleeves.
Ah, Greensleeves, now farewell, adieu,
To God I pray to prosper thee;
For I am still thy lover true,
Come once again and love me.
Greensleeves was all my joy,
Greensleeves was my delight;
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but my Lady Greensleeves.
This variant and the YouTube video above features a performance by Tony from Port St. Mary on the Isle of Man.
A variant was arranged and recorded by Gordon Quinton of Windsor, NL (Guitar Songs, trk#6, 1979, self-produced at Clode Sound Studios, Stephenville, NL).
A variant was also arranged and recorded by Lloyd Bartlett of Corner Brook, NL (Christmas Chords / Lloyd Bartlett With Heather Tuach, trk#8, 2006, produced by Lloyd Snow, Corner Brook, NL).
The YouTube video below features a longer variant performed by Raymond Crooke from Melbourne, Australia, and Hong Kong.
