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As I rovèd out on one fine summer's morn,
Early rose grow merry and dine,
I met with a man whose name it was John,
He said he would be a true lover of mine.
Oh, first you must make me a cambric shirt,
Early rose grow merry and dine,
Without any seam or needle work,
And then you will be a true lover of mine.
Oh, next you must wash it in yonder well,
Early rose grow merry and dine,
Where never a peck of rain water fell,
And then you will be a true lover of mine.
Oh, next you must hang it on yonder thorn,
Early rose grow merry and dine,
Where never sprung blossom since Adam was born,
And then you will be a true lover of mine.
Now, here are three questions you have asked me,
Early rose grow merry and dine,
And here are three more I'm going to ask thee,
Before you can be a true lover of mine.
Oh, first you must get me an acre of land,
Early rose grow merry and dine,
Between the salt water and the sea strand.
And then you will be a true lover of mine.
Oh, next you must plough it with one pig's horn,
Early rose grow merry and dine,
And sow it all over with one grain of corn,
And then you will be a true lover of mine.
Oh, next you must crush it in one mouse-hole,
Early rose grow merry and dine,
And knock it all out with a shoemaker's awl,
And then you will be a true lover of mine.
Now, when you have done your job of work,
Early rose grow merry and dine,
Just come unto me and I'll give you your shirt,
And then you will be a true lover of mine.
This variant was collected in 1959 from Mrs. Clara Stevens of Bellburns, NL, by Ken Peacock and published in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 1, p.7-8, by The National Museum Of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.
Kenneth Peacock noted that this variant corresponds to variants F to L in Child and is widespread in North America.
From Wikipedia: Cambric is a lightweight cotton cloth used as fabric for lace and needlework. Cambric, also known as batiste in a large part of the world, was invented by Jean-Baptiste Cambrai, France, which gave the fabric its name, as early as 1595; It is a closely woven, firm fabric with a slight glossy surface produced by calendering. Modern cambric is made from Egyptian or American cotton and sometimes flax, but also polymer fibres can be added. Cambric is also used as a coating for professional playing cards, to protect them for longer and make them easier to handle.
